All of us have mental health like we do physical health – and how we choose to look after it requires a holistic approach. One in five New Zealanders suffer from anxiety and depression, but all of us experience a range of emotions, which is actually a healthy thing despite the labelling of them being “good” or “bad” ones.

Happylocal encourages you to take a proactive approach with your mental wellbeing; by giving you ideas of specific activities around the country that stimulate your vagus nerve ( good vagal tone is correlated with the capacity to regulate stress responses, build resilience and minimise anxiety symptoms) and getting you out there for more face-to-face connection with your community (which has been proven to help you live longer – yay!).

Humans are social beings after all and seek belonging, significance and meaningful relationships. We as an organisation are interested in holistic health approaches, helping others or causes and hiding away for a “reset” sometimes – all for the sake of your wellbeing.

My name is Courtney and I wear a lot of different hats, likely just like you. This is a journey for me as I simply love helping people and want to see them thrive once they have their basic needs met. This unbelievable experience, that we call life, is so worth fully participating in and I want you to know about all the activities and groups out there just waiting for the WHOLE you to show up – everyone in your world benefits when you are loving it!

So, have a look around -maybe a read of the blog, scan some of the things happening in your home region that’s good for your health and connections, or simply scan our Hideaways Instagram feed for some tempting photos of a dreamy escape.

And feel free to drop me a line – I’m always up for a chat! I’m not claiming to be a wellbeing expert, just happy to keep exploring what will make people feel good in the long term.

Take care of you!

Courtney xx