To be honest, things are all a bit weird at the moment. All of a sudden it’s socially acceptable to work in your pyjamas, it’s encouraged to stay at home all day and no one is really sure what day of the week it is. Crazy right?
We are all adjusting and doing our bit to help with the current situation. For many of us, this means staying at home as much as possible and keeping our passports safely locked up, suitcases packed away and feet firmly on the ground.
It can be pretty challenging to not have the freedom to leave the house let alone travel. This got us thinking… if our guests can’t come to WAHI, is there any way that we could bring a little piece of WAHI to our guests?
We have come up with a few ideas on how you can have an island-themed escape right from your own home.
Step 1: Because you deserve it
To start things off the right way, why not make a tropical cocktail to really set the mood. For a taste of paradise and something fun to do, whip up a fruity and refreshing drink. Need some inspiration? Here’s one of our favourite recipes below:
Tropical Sangria
Servings: 5-6
To make this tropical version, first cut 450g of tropical fruit of your choosing (we love mango, pineapple, papaya or guava) and place in a large pitcher. Next, pour ½ cup of white rum over the top, add 1 750mL bottle of white wine, 1-2 cups of guava juice, 1-2 cups passion fruit juice, and 1-2 cups of pineapple juice.
If you can hold out, let the pitcher sit overnight in the fridge for all the flavours to infuse. Or if you can't wait to try your creation, just a couple of hours in the fridge will do the trick. When you take a sip, it will be sure to transport you to a tropical beach holiday.
Step 2: Get some sun
So we have our tropical drink in hand… now what?
When we spend more time indoors it can be easy to forget that going outside in the sun is actually really important for wellbeing. Set up a spot outside with a beach towel and make sure to soak up some sunshine (don’t forget to wear sunscreen). Sunlight has been shown to improve mood, increase serotonin and help you sleep better. Not to mention studies have found that Vitamin D is an important part of the immune system, which for obvious reasons is a huge plus!
Step 3: All about the ambience
Do you ever hear a song and it transports you to a completely different time or place? Use this to your advantage by setting up a portable speaker and turning on an island-inspired playlist of choice. Alternatively, if you are really looking to relax, play some beach sounds, which have been suggested to help destimulate our brain and help us relax. Make sure your phone is out of sight, close your eyes and focus in on the sound of the ocean waves rolling in and out.
Step 4: Slow down
At the moment there is a lot to read, hear and think about. It can all be pretty overwhelming. The practices of mindfulness and mediation have been around for thousands of years, and for good reason too. They can help you reduce your stress levels, get better sleep and appreciate the beauty in everyday life. Shut your eyes and focus in on how great the sun feels on your skin and how amazing it feels to just breathe in the fresh air.
Step 5: You time
Finally, take some time out to do an activity you love that perhaps you normally reserve for holidays. Dust off that book that you have been saving for a holiday or spare moment. Or why not get creative and paint or draw? Daydream about where you will travel to once this is over (WAHI, of course) and let your imagination take you there.
Bonus tip:
For something smaller and more practical, you can keep a little piece of island zen in your pocket by changing your phone background/lock screen to your favourite ocean photo. You could even go a step further and change your computer background too! It’s been suggested that even just looking at the ocean can change our brain waves and help us get into a meditative state. Plus the colour blue has been linked with feelings of calm and peacefulness.
Stuck for image inspo? Check out our Instagram at @wahiwhitsundays for lots of beautiful ocean and island images.
While we are aware that it’s hard to beat the magic of actually being at WAHI, WAHI will be waiting for you when this is over. And in the meantime, we hope that these tips and tricks help you find some island zen, wherever you are.
