2016 is nearly over and wow has it been a rollercoaster on all levels! It's safe to say that we're feeling the strain and energy could be running low, even after the Christmas festivities.

For me, Christmas is a wonderful time to immerse myself in the surrounding calm of my hometown and reenergise the soul in nature.

Life gets so hectic and full on, that even one walk on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day (or as in this year both) is enough for me to stop, take deep breathes and admire the beauty around me. It's so easy to get swept up in life and not take a moment to appreciate what you have around you at your disposal.

And Christmas is, let's be honest, one of the best times to do it!

Growing up I didn't appreciate living in the countryside so much ie. it was a bigger effort to get into town/more expensive to pay for a taxi after a night out etc. However now I appreciate the calmness and the peace of it.

You take a deep breath and your lungs fill with pure air - not quite so easy to do in London.

After a couple of days I feel clearer and better prepared to take on whatever comes my way in 2017. Balanced.

Dressing in hiking gear, getting properly lost along forest paths, watching your dog leap through ferns. If I come home with a couple of scratches it actually makes me kind of happy, because I've actually spent time outside. Weird I know.

How do you restore your balance?

Han x