Make the Third Quarter of Your Life the Best – If Not Now, When?
This is what Moira O’Neil reminded us recently in the Financial Times (weekend edition on the 30th August 2025). In fact, her exact headlines were “Make the ‘third quarter’ of your life the best yet”…“If not now, when?”. Although it was an article on financial planning, it resonated with me, as it highlighted we also have to live in the ‘here and now’ too. Without a sense of purpose, connectivity and wellness there can be an overwhelming sense of isolation, despair and loss of confidence. In retrospect, the article concluded something similar. It was a timely article and a mirror reflection for many of us, when life’s third quarter is already upon us — those years after careers peak, children fly the nest and priorities shift. A time that feels both liberating and daunting, alongside our propensity to start questioning everything! Finding something ‘new’ to occupy our free time and thoughts, where health and wellbeing takes centre stage, becomes the most important priority in making the last third quarter of life a happy and fulling one.
On the one hand, there’s the joy of time, freedom and the possibility to explore new passions. On the other, we live in an age of constant political angst, shifting economics and a world grappling with big geopolitical challenges. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Yet, at this very crossroads, investment in wellbeing, downtime and self, becomes more than just desirable—it becomes essential.
🌪️ Escaping the Noise
In today’s always-on world, the 24/7 news cycle and constant commentary can silently erode our mental wellbeing.
A recent study by the American Psychological Association found that prolonged exposure to negative news increases stress, lowers mood, and can even impact physical health markers like blood pressure.
This is where wellbeing in nature becomes a powerful antidote.
🌿 Nature as Sanctuary
Quiet landscapes. Rolling hills. Timeless views.
North Wales offers the kind of natural sanctuary that helps reset the mind and restore inner balance. Whether you’re gazing over moorlands or walking woodland trails, the landscape becomes a space for reflection, recovery, and re-connection.
🏡 Holiday Homeownership: A Lifestyle Investment in Wellbeing
At Maes Mynan Park or Misty Waters Holiday Park, owning a holiday home is about more than just location — it’s about building a personal retreat for lifelong wellbeing.
Here’s how:
✅ Space to Breathe
A study from the University of Exeter shows that just 2 hours per week in nature significantly boosts both mental and physical health.
Holiday homeownership ensures you don’t just visit nature — you live in rhythm with it.
✅ No Hassles, Just Peace
Unlike holidays abroad, a holiday lodge in North Wales means spontaneous getaways without the stress of airports, crowds, or rigid schedules.
✅ Healthy Rituals
Owning a retreat close to home encourages routine, relaxation, and reconnection:
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Walks in the fresh air
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Time with loved ones
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Simple joys and slow moments
These rituals of rest are the foundation of true wellbeing.
💬 Final Thought
In uncertain times — when politics shift and markets fluctuate — a stable, nature-connected lifestyle becomes more valuable than numbers alone.
Holiday homeownership is more than an investment in bricks and mortar.
It’s an investment in you — your health, your peace of mind, and your wellbeing in nature.
Anchoring Yourself in Nature’s Rhythm
At Maes Mynan Park, holiday homeowners often say their lodge or caravan feels like “a sanctuary for the soul”. Walking the surrounding hills, watching the seasons change across the Clwydian Range, or simply sitting outside listening to birdsong—these moments foster resilience.
Science backs this up: Dr. Qing Li, a Japanese researcher on Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), has shown that time among trees reduces cortisol, boosts immunity, and enhances natural killer cell activity—all powerful benefits as we seek to age well.
Here are some interesting quotes celebrating the importance of nature and our wellbeing:-
- “It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.” Sir David Attenborough.
- “Spending time in green space or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit your mental health. It can benefit your physical wellbeing too.” MIND (mental health charity).
- “What is this life if, full of care, / We have no time to stand and stare.” From Leisure by William Henry Davies (Welsh poet). A poetic reminder of the importance of slowing down and reconnecting with nature.
- “Over the past year, nature has been my sanctuary.” Princess of Wales
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Quotes in Harmony
Across centuries and continents, poets and thinkers have found the same truth in nature: it restores, teaches and gives back more than we ever expect.
William Wordsworth, reflecting on the banks of the River Wye in his famous poem Tintern Abbey, wrote:
- “Nature never did betray / The heart that loved her.”
A century later, John Muir — often called the father of the American National Parks — echoed similar wisdom in My First Summer in the Sierra (1911):
- “In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
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Nature’s Science on Your Doorstep of Acorn Leisure Holiday Parks
There is a great deal of scientific work being undertaken to highlight the importance of nature on our physical and mental wellbeing. This has never been more pertinent in today’s world of self-help health preservation (especially with long hospital/specialist/GP waiting lists in both the NHS & private sector).
- “Walking for fifteen minutes in the forests compared to urban environments showed up to a 16 per cent reduction in the stress hormone cortisol in the participants’ saliva, and a significant decrease in pulse rate and blood pressure. There was also a large increase in parasympathetic nerve activity … participants reported feeling psychologically calmed, and noted an improvement in their overall mood when in the forests.” Professor Baroness Kathy Willis, CBE
Having read Professor Kathy Willis book ‘Good Nature’, it is easy to spot the beneficial wellbeing benefits she highlights in the very landscapes found across Acorn Leisure’s Holiday Parks.
- Willis observes that landscapes with scattered trees, open hills, and mixed woodlands ease the mind most: terrains where you see greenery, horizons that aren’t too stark, and trees that frame rather than block the view. At Maes Mynan Park, holiday homeowners are surrounded by exactly these types of landscapes, with rolling hills, moorland, lakes and woodland, all of which create a sanctuary that soothes and restores. Our holiday homeowners tell us so too!
- The scent of pine or conifer woodland has also been shown to reduce heart rate and stress, while boosting immune cell activity. That gust of woodland air, or the smell after rainfall among sequoias and evergreens at Maes Mynan Park, is therefore physiologically potent—turning every walk into a dose of natural medicine.
- Willis also notes that simply having greenery around your home—plants, shrubs, trees, or even a view of natural horizons—lowers anxiety and depression. At Maes Mynan Park, this is part of everyday life, with all holiday homes positioned to take in unbroken views of nature’s palette across the Clwydian Range National Landscape (AONB) and beyond.
- And it’s not just about the views. Birdsong, the rustle of leaves, the feel of wood under the hand—these sensory interactions may feel small, but Willis reminds us they are powerful triggers for calm hormone profiles and a healthier nervous system.
At Misty Waters Holiday Park, the benefits are just as present but shaped by the setting: wide open green spaces interspersed with trees and hedging create an uplifting sense of openness rather than containment. This careful balance between privacy and space makes it an equally rewarding wellbeing investment for those seeking relaxation and escape.
A Legacy of Balance
The third quarter of life is not only about living well now, but also about shaping the legacy of how we want to age. Holiday homeownership offers a lifestyle investment: freedom from the noise, closeness to nature and a base to enjoy life’s simple luxuries.
Yes, the world will continue to grapple with economics and politics. But here’s the truth: we can’t control the headlines, but we can control how we choose to live our days.
Your Invitation
I’m fortunate enough to work in such a beautiful place – a special place, where nature and the spectacular views shift with the seasons. Having supported my husband Peter with the development of both Misty Waters Holiday Park and Maes Mynan Park, we, too, have to stop and absorb the wonders of the countryside to feel invigorated once again! We ‘get’ what nature and the countryside offers us every single day – a less stressful life, where we can breathe deeply and carry on creating something wonderful for our holiday homeowners to enjoy.
At Acorn Leisure Holiday Parks, we believe in the power of place. By choosing a holiday home on Maes Mynan Park or Misty Waters, you’re not just buying into a location—you’re investing in your own wellbeing, resilience and a better third quarter of life.
So maybe the Financial Times is right! Perhaps now really is the time to make the third quarter of your life the best.
To that end, we invite you to reach out when you’re ready to make the most of the third quarter of your life in a holiday world that is all about peace, tranquillity, stunning panoramic kaleidoscope views and nature.
acornleisure.com | 01352 728080 | acornleisure.com
