Finding My Inner Child Again: How Snorkelling Helped Me Fall in Love with Life Once More

There are moments in life that quietly change everything.

Not through dramatic events or life-changing decisions, but through something beautifully simple.

For me, that moment came with a snorkel.

If you've read my previous blog about burnout, you'll know that the past few months have been challenging. Running two wellness businesses, supporting retreat hosts, teaching Pilates, creating content, planning retreats... it all adds up. Even when you love what you do, burnout has a way of creeping in when life becomes all about responsibilities and not enough about joy.

What I didn't realise was that the answer wasn't necessarily working less.

It was remembering how to play.

It All Started Here in Kos

My love of water actually began right here on the beautiful island of Kos.

I was only five or six years old when my family came on holiday. I couldn't really swim, but like many fearless children, I jumped straight into the swimming pool and somehow figured it out along the way.

From that moment, I was hooked.

As I grew older, my love for the water only became stronger. During my time serving in the British Army, I learnt to scuba dive, opening up an entirely new world beneath the surface. There is something incredibly peaceful about being underwater. The noise of everyday life disappears, and suddenly you're part of a completely different world.

It became one of my favourite places to be.

The Sting That Changed Everything

A few years ago, something happened that I never expected would have such a lasting impact.

One early morning, I headed into the sea for my usual swim.

Without knowing it, I stepped on a weaver fish.

If you've never heard of one, they're a small fish that bury themselves beneath the sandy seabed around the Mediterranean. They're incredibly difficult to spot, and although it's uncommon to stand on one, it can happen.

Unfortunately, it happened to me.

The sting was excruciating.

While the physical pain eventually disappeared, something else stayed behind.

Fear.

At first, I didn't even realise how much the experience had affected me. I still went into the sea occasionally, but I never truly relaxed. I certainly wasn't exploring or enjoying it the way I once had.

Without realising it, I'd lost something I had loved since childhood.

Rediscovering the Magic

Recently, I'd bought my husband and me a snorkel each, thinking it might be fun to have a look beneath the surface.

I had absolutely no idea what was waiting for me.

The underwater world around Kos is breathtaking.

Crystal-clear water.

Schools of fish moving effortlessly around us.

Rock formations full of life.

Colours, textures and tiny creatures I'd been swimming above for years without ever noticing.

Every single time we go out, we discover something new.

And every single time I come home with the biggest smile on my face.

I genuinely feel like a child again.

That feeling of curiosity.

That excitement of discovering something new.

That complete loss of track of time because you're simply enjoying the moment.

I'd forgotten what that felt like.

The Unexpected Medicine

The funny thing is, nothing in my workload has really changed.

I'm still busy.

I'm still running businesses.

I'm still teaching.

I'm still writing.

I'm still planning.

But something inside me has shifted.

The burnout I've been experiencing has started to lift.

Not because I'm doing less.

Because I'm doing more of what fills my soul.

There's a huge difference.

We often think recovery means stopping everything.

Sometimes it does.

But sometimes recovery comes from adding something back into your life that reminds you who you are outside of work.

Something that makes your heart race in the best possible way.

Something that makes you forget to check your phone.

Something that leaves you grinning like an excited child.

For me, that's snorkelling.

We Don't Stop Playing Because We Grow Up...

We often hear the phrase:

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

I think there's so much truth in that.

As adults, life becomes full of obligations.

Work.

Bills.

Families.

Appointments.

Responsibilities.

Somewhere along the way, many of us quietly pack away the things that once made us feel alive.

We convince ourselves we don't have time.

Or that they're childish.

Or that we'll do them "one day."

But what if that one thing you've forgotten is exactly what your mind and body have been asking for?

What's Your Version of Snorkelling?

Maybe it's painting.

Cycling.

Dancing.

Reading books.

Horse riding.

Photography.

Climbing trees.

Building sandcastles.

Swimming.

Playing the piano.

Collecting shells.

Whatever made your younger self light up.

Perhaps it's time to invite that version of you back into your life.

You don't need to become a different person.

You simply need to remember who you've always been.

A Little Challenge

This blog isn't about promoting Evexia.

It isn't about our Pilates classes or our wellness retreats.

It's simply something I wanted to share because it reminded me of an important lesson.

So here's my challenge for you.

Take a few quiet moments and ask yourself one simple question:

What did I absolutely love doing as a child?

Then ask yourself another.

When was the last time I did it?

If the answer is years ago...

Go and do it.

Not because it will make you more productive.

Not because it will improve your fitness.

Not because someone else expects you to.

Do it simply because it brings you joy.

Sometimes the smallest adventures create the biggest changes.

For me, that adventure was slipping on a snorkel and rediscovering the incredible underwater world of Kos.

In doing so, I didn't just rediscover the sea.

I rediscovered a little piece of myself.

And perhaps that's the greatest adventure of all.