Let's all treat ourselves to some Fun.
Fun is great for the soul: a great big laugh with those you hold dear - so that your belly aches and the tears stream down your face - is an amazing mood changer.
On a website called Mind Apples (https://mindapples.org/2012/02/16/why-having-fun-is-good-for-you/), there is an interesting read about why fun is important for your overall health. There has been a good deal of research carried out into this, and what is found was ‘that individuals who spend more time engaging in enjoyable activities did in fact have greater psychological and physical well being…..individuals.. who took time to engage in these activities showed lower levels of depression and higher positive affect”. There’s plenty more to read if you are interested just follow the link. What we do know that giving yourself permission to take time out and have fun, laugh, smile and make magical memories can enhance your quality of life.
Fun is something that we have to make time for, and when working in a beautiful place surrounded by people having fun, we have to remind ourselves sometimes to stop and join in the fun. One of the reasons we choose this lifestyle is because we love the river, we love boats and we love being together.
This month saw the return of the local Sailing school after nearly a two year break, watching the young ones learning to sail (including our son Nate), and simply messing about in boats, whilst their laughter filled the air, made my spirit sing with joy. This is what I have been missing in lockdown - fun social interaction.
This year we have added Stand Up Paddle-boards to our repertoire, and in our usual way of bringing the rive to life safely we have added lessons to this offer. You can hire a pair for a day, but you will need to demonstrate, you have experience when you arrive. If it is a new experience then book a lesson, groups size of up to 4, and you will be shown the basics, how to self rescue and taken out on the river once your confidence has grown. We want to make sure your memories made at Hippersons are full of laughter and fun and you are happy to tell the story of your time afterwards. Find out more here https://www.hippersons.co.uk/explore#/canoehire.
However you decide to have fun and make memories, do it safely, share with others and keep the fun alive. As the famous quote says “Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth”