As soon as the Autumn chill dissipates and the glimmer of the summer sunshine starts to appear I tend to head straight for the beach. There are so many local beaches near where I live and one of them happens to be dog friendly.

On this particular day I felt like Henri and I both needed some sand between our toes (paws) and some salty water to have fun in so we headed for Rose Bay dog beach just as the sun was setting.

I’m still a big kid at heart so frolicking in the water and generally being a goof ball is so therapeutic. Life can get so intense sometimes, I’m constantly trying to remind myself ‘don’t take yourself too seriously’. I’ve identified the things that force me to switch my brain off and so far they include being outdoors with nature, cooking in my kitchen, doing exercise and any type of learning (as long as I’m into it!). So I try and do these things as often as I can, even when I’m feeling on top of the world I think every brain deserves a little rest.

Its taken me a long time to identify my personal ‘therapies’ and i’m sure as I get older my list will change as new ‘therapies’ come on board and maybe some others drop off. For now though, I’m happy knowing what helps me relax so that I can utilise my time better and be a happier more balanced person. What helps you relax?