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Walks on the beach with her golden doodle and 'fika' are among the things an islander hailing from Sweden turns to when in need of some relaxation.
After many years working as a lifestyle photographer, Gisela Olsson has turned to creating mixed media pieces.
It came after she experimented with painting during lockdown as an activity to do with her mum.
While she admits she finds the painting process meditative, Gisela also turns to other things when she wants to unwind, as she shared with Express...
...many different things, all depending on what kind of unwinding is needed. A walk along St. Brelade's Bay with our goldendoodle often seems to do the trick of putting things in perspective in that “this too shall pass” way.
I’m also a huge fan of EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). This year, I have worked on creating a new habit, one where I take a 10-minute break in the afternoon to do a guided tapping meditation using the app 'The Tapping Solution'.
I was introduced to EFT by our local tapping champion, Yolanda Saez Castello, and I find it really helpful when I’m stressed, anxious or tired. By doing tapping, I feel that I can reclaim my calm as well as tapp into some dormant energy.
...Fika!
As a girl from Sweden, I’m a huge fan of this. 'Fika' means coffee and cake - preferably cinnamon buns - with friends.
Fika is simply perfect, you are face-to-face, you are eating something sweet and comforting, you are drinking a good cup of coffee and chatting to a good friend. I would say that that is a magic formula on how to unwind and press pause.
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...a good cup of tea, especially in the evening (despite having just stated I'm a coffee and cake girl!).
Currently, I’m a big fan of Teapigs or Pukka tea’s peppermint and liquorice flavour.
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...and read, and re-read books. Like the dad in Richard Curtis's beautiful film 'About Time', reading is one of my luxuries and joys.
A recent favourite was the beautiful 'Still Life' by Sarah Winman. It’s a story that spans over decades during the twentieth century, it takes us to the East End in London and to Florence in Italy, and offers a rich education in art appreciation and social history. I loved the characters - they were interesting and all of them had big and kind hearts. It’s a story where the meaning of family and friendships is redefined and explored, it’s a story about opportunities and regrets. All the things that creates a good story.
Two more books that I loved and would urge everyone to read are 'Human Kind' by Rutger Bregman and 'They' by Safraz Manzoor.
The book is loosely based on Fleetwood Mac and the tortured romance between Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham and it has lots of good music.
In the story, the band releases an album called 'Aurora', which you can now find on Spotify with 24 original songs written for the series and recorded by the cast, and that is my playlist at the moment, which you can listen to below...
This article first featured on Bailiwick Wellbeing, your guide to wellness in work and island life to help you start the weekend the right way. Sign up now for FREE here.
