Okay, let me tell you about this shoreline psychological thing I’ve been doing. It wasn’t some grand plan, you know? More like stumbling into something that just… worked for me.
How it Started
Things were getting a bit much, work pressure, life stuff, the usual grind. I felt wound up tighter than a drum most days. I wasn’t really looking for a solution, just trying to get through. Then I remembered reading somewhere, probably just some random article online, about how being near water can be calming. Seemed kinda fluffy, but I live not too far from the coast, maybe a 40-minute drive if traffic isn’t a beast.
So, one Saturday, I just decided to go. Didn’t tell anyone, just got in the car and drove. No expectations. Maybe grab some fish and chips, I thought.
The First Few Times
When I got there, I didn’t even go onto the sand at first. Just parked the car, rolled down the window, and listened. The sound of the waves, the gulls… it was noisy, but a different kind of noise than the city. Less demanding, somehow. I walked along the promenade for a bit. Then eventually kicked off my shoes and walked on the wet sand where the waves were washing up.
It felt cold! But also kinda refreshing. I didn’t do much. Just walked, looked at the horizon, picked up a few smooth stones. Stayed for maybe an hour. Driving back, I noticed I felt… lighter. Not euphoric or anything dramatic, just less cluttered in my head.
Making it a Thing
So I started doing it more often. Maybe every other weekend, sometimes even a weekday evening if I finished work early enough. It became my little ritual.
- Find a quiet spot, away from the main crowds.
- Sometimes I’d just sit on a bench or directly on the sand.
- Other times I’d walk for miles along the water’s edge.
- Focus on the physical sensations: the wind, the sun (or rain!), the smell of the salt air, the sound of the water.
I realised after a while that I wasn’t thinking about my problems while I was there. My brain just sort of… switched off its worry mode. It wasn’t a conscious effort. It just happened. The sheer size of the sea, the constant motion of the waves – it made my own stuff feel smaller, less overwhelming.
What I Noticed
It wasn’t a miracle cure. My problems didn’t vanish. But my ability to handle them got better. I started sleeping a bit more soundly the nights after I’d been to the shore. I felt less irritable. It was like hitting a reset button, but a gentle one.
Funny thing is, I remember one specific time, I was really stressing about a presentation. Went down to the beach, sat there for an hour watching the tide come in. Didn’t think about the presentation once. Got back home, sat down at my computer, and the ideas just flowed much easier. Coincidence? Maybe. But it happened more than once.
So, Yeah…
That’s basically my “shoreline psychological” practice. Nothing fancy. No textbooks involved. Just me, the sea, the sand, and the sky. It’s about giving my brain a break from the usual noise and letting that big, wide-open space work its quiet magic. Still do it whenever I feel the need to decompress. It’s become one of my essential tools for keeping steady.
