Restoring Myself. Returning to Water.

The other week, I shared a post about how I wasn’t doing so well.

I’d hit a dark patch, a place where I genuinely questioned if I’d ever feel truly happy again. And while I’m not one to live in those places for long, I do know I have to go inward when they arrive.

That photo I shared of me sitting by the water wasn’t just a pretty shot. It was me, mid-process. And I want to use this space to invite you to ask yourself the same question I did that day:

Where do you go to hear your truth again?

Not the truth shaped by other people’s expectations.
Not the voice that says you “should” be somewhere else by now.
Your true truth, the one whispered by your own soul.

For me, that place is always near water.

It could be a creek, a lake, the ocean, even a shower.
Water, for me, strips everything back.
It quiets the noise. The opinions. The comparison. The chaos.
It slows me down enough to hear what’s mine again.

You might be wondering “How do I know what my place is?”
And the answer is: you’ll feel it.

It’ll be the place that stops you in your tracks.
Where the noise goes quiet.
Where time bends a little.
Where your mind exhales and your soul stretches out.

It’s trial and error, sure. I tried walking, it didn’t give me stillness.
Exercise? Important for strength, but not my place of peace.
But the moment I’m near water, something shifts.

It’s the place where my best ideas come from.
Where my business clarity lands.
Where I suddenly remember the kind of parent, partner and person I actually want to be.

It’s not just stillness, it’s direction.

But sometimes, even sitting by water isn’t enough.
Sometimes I need a full reset. A full surrender. A full body yes to letting it all go.

That’s when I get in the water.

So have a think for yourself.
Where do you find your quiet?
Where do you find your pause?
When/where have you been when you came up with some of the best inventions or best ideas for your life?

Now extend it even further, Not only was it the best idea- but this new idea also created this overwhelming buzz of excited and a sense that anything and everything is possible. It's a lightness in your decision making, it's not corrupted. It's not held back. That is your place.

As always. I find that when I go to sit by water the ideas, decisions and concepts, organically flow without too much critical thinking.

You might’ve seen me dunking in freezing lakes or jumping in the sea in the middle of winter Wim Hof style. And yep, it’s intense. But it’s also sacred. A reset. A body-based shift that pulls me out of stagnancy, out of emotion, and back into clarity. I can get in and I can survive the harsh, I can survive the cold and the reset. Whether that is getting in warm water or cold water its so revitalizing for me. It is cleansing my stagnant energy and is so far removed from yucky heavy feelings I was having .

Like a baptism.
A rinse of everything heavy and stuck.
And afterwards, I can barely recognise the version of me who felt so far away from herself.

And when I reflect, I see a pattern. Those stuck places? They arrive when I let too many external voices take up space in my head. These things engulf, overload and drown me. I am still human, and I'm still learning. When I let comparison win. When I think everyone else’s version of success should be mine.

That’s when I know: Return to water. Return to your heart. Return to your divine trust.

So let me ask you, really ask you:

Where do you go to remember yourself?
What’s your reset?
What’s your medicine?

Maybe it’s movement. Maybe it’s music. Maybe it’s painting, walking, dancing, journaling, gardening, or sitting with your dog while you cry quietly into your tea.

Whatever it is, find it.
And once you do: don’t wait to feel broken before you go there.
Build the habit when you feel good. Anchor into it before you fall.

Because these places? These practices? They catch you.
They remind you of who you are when the world starts to chip away at your sense of self.

This is your mental medicine. And it will meet you where you're at, but only if you know how to reach for it.

If you want to hear more of the story behind this moment, listen to my podcast episode here:
🎧 Episode 4 – Finding Your Ground: A Journey Through Burnout to Self-Rediscovery.

And if you’re ready to take this exploration deeper to reconnect with your own truth, your body, and your soul through guided tools, community, and real conversation then you’ll love The Soul Care Healing Method.

It’s not about fixing you.
It’s about giving you a space to come back to yourself — and stay there.
To find your “water” again, whatever that looks like for you.

→ Come explore The Soul Care Method

And as always, if this stirred something in you, send me a message.
I love hearing your stories, your practices, your places of return.

With love, grace, and wet hair.

Gayle xx