When we feel tired, overwhelmed, or are unable to switch off, it’s time to implement lifestyle changes. Here, I explore why more people are creating a “Lifestyle Bubble” through holiday homeownership in our beautiful North Wales countryside.
I’ve come to understand, from listening to our visitors, that modern life feels increasingly outside our control. People are searching for something else. They are seeking a place to breathe, recharge and reconnect with nature, recognising that one of the most valuable investments they can make is not in wealth, but in their own wellbeing, happiness and enjoyment of life.
Over several recent conversations, I have noticed a shift in how people are seeking something new in their lives to give them peace of mind. I’m hearing the same complaints and questions time and again. “Something’s got to change”. “I’m fed-up of feeling tired, worn out, despite working hard, exercising and taking holidays abroad”.
So I decided to explore the growing disconnect with the gloom of the news cycles and everyday life, on the one hand, and the reconnection with nature, wellbeing, and holiday homeownership on the other. It’s been fascinating to hear people’s life stories and discover why they’ve decided it’s time to change their lives.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve found myself having more conversations that start in a very similar way. People aren’t ringing to ask about holiday home features or floor plans. They’re talking about life. Work feels more intense than it used to, the city feels busier, the commute feels longer and the road they’ve lived on for twenty years no longer feels quite the same. Life seems louder somehow. Not necessarily worse. Just louder. More people. More traffic. More demands. More information. More pressure. And underneath many of these conversations sits the same question.
“Why do I always feel tired?”
Not physically tired. A different kind of tired. The sort of tired that a weekend doesn’t seem to fix. The sort of tired that a fortnight abroad improves temporarily, before normal life quickly returns. The sort of tired that leaves people wondering whether they’re doing something wrong.
However, I think the truth is much simpler.
It’s Modern Life
For most of human history, we lived much closer to nature than we do today.
We worked outdoors, walked more, spent more time among trees, fields, rivers and open spaces. Our brains evolved in natural environments.
Yet, today, modern life increasingly places us in very different surroundings.
Screens, artificial lighting, constant traffic and noise crowd our days. We have numerous deadlines to meet all at once and have a constant notification ping on our mobile devices. In other words, our brains are being constantly stimulated by artificial situations.
So it’s not surprising that researchers are writing numerous papers on the impact our surroundings have on our physical and mental wellbeing.
Studies have shown that spending time in natural environments can help reduce stress hormones, lower blood pressure and improve mood. Researchers have even explored how simply being around trees and green spaces can help restore mental energy and improve concentration.
The Japanese have a phrase called Shinrin-yoku, often translated as “forest bathing”.
It doesn’t involve exercise, or swimming, or meditation. It simply means immersing yourself in a woodland environment and allowing nature to do what nature does best. Restore your balance.
Perhaps that’s why so many people instinctively find themselves drawn towards the countryside when life becomes overwhelming.
This has shown me that the balance of life, for many, is wrong.
I’ve noticed that there is a dawning and realisation that there is so much outside of our control. This means more and more of us are consciously stepping away from the ‘noise’ and taking control of the small things we can change. We’re deciding to opt out of the drama that is ‘put upon us’, choosing changes that help us feel better.
The problems many face in daily life are not as a result of a lack of motivation, or ambition, or resilience. The difficulty is simply modern life rarely allows us to recover properly.
Think about how many people now spend their days.
- On a busy commute.
- Hours in front of a screen.
- In meetings.
- Chasing targets.
- Meeting deadlines.
- Sifting emails.
- Fielding phone calls.
Then at home, it’s more busyness, and more screen time in the form of TV, tablets, phones, social media and news headlines.
After all that, you then press repeat and start another day. Then another and another and so on with little change! It’s no wonder that everyone is so tired.
However, I’m seeing a movement of change. People seem to be seeking something they can’t always quite define. But when they analyse what it is they want, it is actually quite simple. It’s a change of scenery, where there is a sense of calm and a place where their shoulders seem to relax without being told to. It’s a place where they can think clearly again, and somewhere they can breathe, unwind and relax in peaceful surroundings.
The Search For A Different Environment
I recently spoke with a prospective holiday homeowner who lives and works in a city environment.
He was successful, hard-working, driven, working on bonus performance incentives, and was the sort of person who many would assume has everything figured out.
So when he visited Maes Mynan Park, he loved the luxury of the lakeside lodges, one in particular, as it appealed to his design sense of interiors. But more than anything, what appealed most, was the idea of being immersed in the beautiful countryside with amazing uninterrupted dramatic hillside views. It wasn’t status, or a potential financial investment he saw. It was finishing work on Thursday evening, heading into the North Wales countryside, and spending four days in an entirely different environment only 45 minutes from home. He saw how he could mentally recharge in green spaces away from his apartment in a built-up area of the city where he lived and worked. He could see himself enjoying:-
- Working remotely from a lodge on Friday.
- Spending the weekend outdoors.
- Exploring North Wales.
- Starting work again on Monday morning overlooking open countryside before returning home later that day.
What he realised was that he could achieve a better work-life balance by having a second positive environment away from his normal place of work and home. And what surprised him most, he hadn’t realised he needed it until he sat and looked at the views we have from the office at Maes Mynan Park.
The more I thought about it, the more I realised I was hearing similar stories repeatedly.
Finding A Name For What People Are Looking For
Listening to people’s different stories, emotions and feelings, I found conversations highlighted everyone was searching for something remarkably similar.
- A place that felt calmer.
- More restorative.
- More predictable.
- A place or activity where they could step away from the demands of everyday life and reconnect with the things that mattered most to them.
In the end, I found myself describing a “Lifestyle Bubble”.
Lifestyle Bubble (noun)
A deliberately created space, place or environment that allows an individual to step away from the pressures, noise and demands of everyday life in order to restore balance, wellbeing, perspective and enjoyment.
A lifestyle bubble is unique to the individual and may be found in nature, hobbies, travel, family time or places that provide a sense of peace, control and personal freedom.
Of course, a “Lifestyle Bubble” means different things to different people.
For some it may be a workshop, a craft room, a boat, a garden, or a favourite walking route. For others, it may be weekends spent with grandchildren.
However, for a growing number of people, a holiday home offers an entirely different environment they can retreat to whenever they want. A personal space to stay and a happy place they could make their own.
Perhaps the best way to describe it: Create a “Lifestyle Bubble” that means something to you.
Not a bubble that shuts out the world. A bubble that protects what matters most:-
- Your wellbeing.
- Your relationships.
- Your time.
- Your ability to recharge.
Because whether we like it or not, much of modern life sits outside our control. We cannot control global events, politics, or countrywide economic uncertainty. Nor can we control what appears on our television screens, or social media feeds. But we can control where and how we spend our free-time. We can control the environments we choose to immerse ourselves in, and we can control how we look after ourselves.
For some people, that “Lifestyle Bubble” may be a lakeside lodge overlooking open countryside.
For others, it may be a pre-loved holiday home where weekends become something to genuinely look forward to.
The principle remains the same: creating a space that feels different from everyday life, or find an activity that gives you freedom to relax.
Everyone’s Journey Is Different When Seeking A Gentler Pace Of Life
One of the fascinating aspects of holiday homeownership is that no two journeys are the same.
For some, it begins with work.
High-pressure corporate roles.
Long hours.
Responsibility.
Success on paper, but little opportunity to switch off.
For others, it begins at home.
The once-quiet street becomes busier.
Parking becomes a daily frustration.
Neighbourhoods evolve.
Life becomes more crowded.
The desire for peace grows stronger.
Then there are those entering an entirely new chapter.
Retirement.
Children leaving home.
A divorce.
The loss of a loved one.
Years spent caring for parents coming to an end.
A change in health.
These conversations are often deeply personal. Many arrive at the same conclusion. “It’s my time now.” Not in a selfish way, but a healthy way. A recognition that life is precious and that our wellbeing deserves attention too.
It’s Not Really About The Holiday Home
This may sound strange coming from someone involved in the holiday home industry, but I don’t believe most people buy a holiday home because they want a holiday home.
They buy what the holiday home represents.
- Freedom.
- Space.
- Choice.
- Time.
- A reason to spend more time outdoors.
- An opportunity to discover new experiences and places.
- A reason to reconnect with family and friends.
- A reason to slow down.
In other words, the holiday home itself simply becomes the vehicle and a destination for something much bigger. A better quality of life.
A New Kind Of Perspective For A Return On Investment
We typically judge purchases through a financial lens. Will it increase in value? Will it generate a return? Will it outperform other investments?
These are all sensible questions. But some investments deliver returns that cannot be measured on a spreadsheet. Things like:-
- A walk through woodland after a difficult week.
- Watching the sun set across the countryside.
- A quiet coffee on the deck before the world wakes up.
- A spontaneous weekend escape.
- More quality time with family.
- More time outdoors.
- Quiet moments to enjoy a good book.
- More moments that become memories.
- Finding new hobbies and enjoying new experiences.
- Making new friends.
- Time for yourself.
Perhaps the most valuable return on investment is not financial at all. In the end, is it not our wellbeing that counts the most?
A Place To Breathe
The world is unlikely to become less complicated anytime soon.
The news cycle will continue. Work will continue. Responsibilities will continue. Life will continue to throw challenges in our path. But perhaps the answer is not to change the world. Perhaps the answer is to create a small part of it that belongs entirely to you.
- A place where you can step away from the noise.
- A place where nature quietly restores perspective.
- A place where you remember what it feels like to slow down.
- A place where you can simply breathe.
- A place you can hear the sounds of the birds and the bees
For a growing number of people, that is precisely what a holiday home has become. Not an escape from life. But an opportunity to enjoy it more fully.
Is it your time to find a countryside holiday home in nature? Please get in touch if the timing is right for you.
Maes Mynan Park – a hidden gem with stunning views, lakeside lodge plots and elevated static caravan holiday home plots. 4-miles from junction 31 of the A55 North Wales Exspressway.
Misty Waters Holiday Park – a quiet countryside holiday park with large open green spaces and big skies. 1-mile from junction 31 of the A55 North Wales Exspressway.
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