Welcome to TBH – To Be Honest – Capsule’s monthly column with our columnist and old pal, Brodie Kane! This month, Brodie talks about her happy place – the beach; and why, in such an overwhelming world, we have to do the things we love this year, for the sake of our mental health.
And for her previous columns, click here!
For my first column of the year, I sat and ruminated over it for a few days. Everything I felt compelled to write about was bad, sad, angry, despair, frustration, fear (you get the idea). Truth be told, as I bash this out, I do not in fact, have the bandwidth today to write about such things.
In one of my last columns, I mentioned the weird feeling of being in a really good place with my life and my work and all that comes with both of those things, but I’m also deeply troubled about what our world is starting to look like.
And so I come into this year feeling very much the same. I’m really happy and excited about mahi this year, I’m really happy and excited about the adventures I’m going to have. I’m really happy and grateful for all the wonderful people in my life, and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t appreciate all I have around me.
And yet, my mind is so often consumed by a multitude of serious global (and local, of course) issues we are ALL facing, to the point where it gets beyond comprehension.
So, sometimes I might write about the above because it’s important to, but this week, I’m not. I’m going to write about something that brings me so much joy, I love it so much. And in my non-expert opinion, we have to find the things that bring us joy to keep us going, keep us active, keep us alert, ready and healthy.
I give you: THE BEACH (ground breaking, I know).
Right from when I was a little, little girl we spent all our summers at the beach. And the days were long, too. Mum would pack up a full day’s worth of beach kit and supplies, because we were there from about 10 in the morning until hunger or thirst drove us home (aka dinner time!).
And so I’ve grown up with it, I spent many years doing surf life-saving, and I’ve been fortunate enough to live close to it my whole life. But it’s not just the nostalgia; it’s the way the beach makes you FEEL.
Water, sun, and air. Three natural elements that offer mental health benefits that help the mind relax, a chance for us to socialise with others, and enhanced physical activity. All are great joy bringers!
Now I’m fully aware none of this is earth-shattering news (but do we actually need any more earth-shattering news at this time????) – but I thought that by reminding everyone to get to the beach when they can (or, your alternative happy place), I would offer up some of my little tips to make your beach trip even more enjoyable.
Kane Family Beach Tips
– A sand prevention strategy. Most people are put off by the beach because of sand, and that stuff ain’t going nowhere. So, double towel it. Take at least two towels (or buy a big mat – but even then lay your towel on top of that to dry you and to offer additional length at the end by your feet).
The time you get sand on you is when you’re sitting down. So lay down a good long and wide base and that’s a great start. Also, remind yourself to exit and enter the toweling area where your feet are. None of this getting up and standing or walking all over your towel and then wondering why you’re covered from arsehole to breakfast.
– Wind awareness (this one kind of ties into the above a bit too). Get to know what your prevailing winds at the beach are, and what each wind direction does to your local beach (oh my god, I’m sounding so geeky).
For instance, my closest beach is Takapuna, and if there’s a howling southerly to south-westerly at home, I know that it will be quite sheltered there as it’s running offshore. So windy as all shit at home, gorgeous at the beach!
And on the wind, when you’re down there, be aware of what way the wind is going when you’re shaking out your towels and moving around because that’s when you’re likely to blast others. But once you become a wind expert like me your beach life will change.
– Shade and sun protection. Umbrellas as shade are obviously a no brainer. New Zealand sunshine is insane. Also, invest in decent sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection. I am not being paid to say this, but two of the best products I use are La Roche-Posay Anthelios Wet Skin SPF50+ and La Roche-Posay Anthelios Wet Skin 60% Less Plastic SPF50+ 200ml.
And for the love of Elvis, regardless of what type of water resistance your sunscreen offers, reapply EVERY time you come out of the water. Most of the time we dry ourselves off with a towel and the sunscreen comes off and we fry!
– If you can, take down a couple of fold-out “afternoon chairs”. Lying on the sand all day can be hard on the bod, the little fold-out chairs for the arvo, a cold one and some people watching is the absolute tahi.
– Beach sandwiches are compulsory. Make yourself two, because our brain decides we want to eat one immediately upon arrival, and you want to save yourself another one for a little bit later.
– If you’re bringing lads… make sure they at least have a ball or some form of activity they can play AWAY FROM YOU because lord knows those fellas are not in the business of lying down on the beach all day doing nothing.
– Bring a good book, and a good attitude. And if you’re bringing a portable speaker (I have mixed feelings about this) remember you’re not hosting an unsolicited concert for other beachgoers.
I’ve almost got anxiety that I may have forgotten something – but we can always regroup and add some more tips, because I’m actually well past deadline.
If you’re not a beach person, many of the above principles will still apply to your happy place.
Remember that when we are so massively deep down a rabbit hole of online consumption, anywhere with fresh air and nature is bound to bring us joy. Like I said at the beginning, we need the joy to keep us strong!
Ngā mihi x