When the sea calls but you can’t go: coping with the beach-changes in Adelaide.
beach blues.
I’ve quickly put together this blog because in the last couple of weeks I have seen clients who are beginning to be negatively effected by the loss of freedom our beautiful beaches have afforded us in summer’s past. Read on for some useful tips on how to make summer work for you in different ways.
There’s something primal about the beach - the salt, the surf, the sand beneath your feet, the wind on your skin the horizon that reminds us of how big the world is and how small our worries can feel. For many of us living around Adelaide, summer means the beach: a place to reset, move our body, let our kids run wild, meet friends for a picnic and swim.
This year, that simple ritual is broken. The ongoing algal bloom affecting South Australia’s coastline means that many of our familiar beach rhythms are disrupted. The water is questionable and the foam and discolouration cause health risks (especially for anyone with respiratory issues).
For single women spending time by the ocean, walking or swimming or for mothers and partners planning family days out, it can feel like one more thing we’ve lost - a grounding, gentle ritual of self-care or a way to bring the family together outdoors.
So this summer I want to invite you to a gentler story:
Yes, honour the loss.
Yes, acknowledge the dissapointment.
But, shift and pivot.
Create new rituals.
Your body, your mind and your family still need refreshment, still need space, still need care - even if it’s not the beach.
acknowledge the grief and give it a name.
When we plan on a beach holiday or a regular weekend dip and that expectation falls away, it matters. It matters that you feel irritated, disappointed and a little cheated. Why not try:
Pausing for a moment.
Feeling the feelings.
Writing down how you feel “I’m sad I can’t swim the way I used to. I’m missing the sound of the waves”.
Sharing it with a friend.
Be aware that your body remembers those rythms and it’s valid to mourn them.
Remind yourself that this isn’t about you doing something wrong, it’s about changed ecology and changed conditions. The bloom isn’t your fault.
By naming the loss you free some of its energy rather than letting it quietly wriggle beneath your skin.
for women who are single and needing a de-stress ritual.
If the beach used to be your go-to space to unwind, here are some ideas about what you might try instead:
Create a ‘water connection’ at home or nearby.
If you can’t safely swim in the ocean perhaps explore a local pool option.
If it works for you try walking by beach, if there’s a safe path for public use.
Set up a yoga mat in a place that overlooks the water, perhaps a park or other public space.
If it’s safe and you’re comfortable take a book to the beach and sit on the sand with bare feet or go for a walk.
Sunset ritual.
Choose a favourite look-out that is west facing and make yourself a ritual of watching the sun set.
Sit and breath deeply as you watch the sun slide away.
Take a flask of herbal tea or a refreshing cold drink with you and make a ritual of pouring, smelling and consuming it.
Let the horizon invite you into expansion.
Mobile ‘beach studio’ at home.
If the sea is off-limits, bring the beach inside.
Spread a towel out in the garden or the corner of a room adorned with umbrella and shells.
Play audio of wave sounds.
Turn a fan on low to simulate a breeze.
Light a candle scented with sea-salt or eucalyptus.
Use this space to mark a ‘transition time’ after work…change clothes, sit for 10-15 minutes in the space and just breathe.
This becomes your self-care ritual.
Group outing alternative.
Instead of meeting at the beach plan a water adjacent picnic perhaps in a park or near an outdoor pool.
Bring yoga mats, cards and journals and spark conversation.
Lie in the shade and let it be about listening and connecting.
for women who are mothers or partners planning family days.
If you’re holding the role of caregiver or partner, reminding the family of fun when the beach is off limits can be a creative moment. Here are some ideas:
Nature walk and picnic.
Choose a shady bush walk (Adelaide Hills or River Torrens), bring a picnic.
You could pack a journal or sketchbook so your kids or partner can draw what they see.
Make it an adventure.
Backyard beach day.
Set up the backyard or verandah as a mini-beach: sandpit, water table, sprinkler, pool, beach towels and snacks.
Dress the kids in beach gear, build sandcastles or have a game of cricket.
Play beach sounds or beachy themed playlists.
Use it as a day out moment rather than it just being another day at home.
Creative water play that’s safe.
Go to the local pool for the morning.
Find some water based crafts that work for you - tie-dye a t-shirt, make floating lanterns, have a paper boat race or try water colour painting.
The goal is to use water elements without risking the beach.
Family ritual stroll and story.
After dinner take a walk to a lookout or along a safe path to watch the sky as it changes.
Tell a story as you walk or share feelings.
Ask questions like ‘What did you love today?”, “What surprised you?”, “What are you looking forward to tomorrow?”.
This builds connection, slows things down and a walk is a time when being ‘side to side’ makes some open up when they normally wouldn’t.
finding calm in body and mind: simple practices.
Whether single or partnered, mothering or not, you’ll benefit from practices that ground your nervous system and shift you out of the ‘I can’t do the thing I usually do’ mindset.
Gentle yoga by the water (or substituted location):
Take your mat to a quiet shore (if safe) or a local park, face west if you can and spend 10-20 minutes doing slow sun salutations.
If you feel safe to do so try a seated meditation or legs up a wall/tree/car, you get the idea!
Let yourself feel the breeze and stretch the body.
Breathwork and journaling:
After your movement sit with your journal.
Breathe - inhale for 4, hold 2 and exhale for 6. Repeat 5 times.
Note in your journal what you’re releasing and choosing to welcome instead.
Mindful walking or earthing:
If you can’t swim, you can still walk barefoot on sand or grass.
Feel your bare feet connecting with the earth.
Pay attention to the wind, the sound of the leaves and the feel of your clothes against your skin.
Evening ritual or unwinding:
After your busy day create a ritual.
Light a candle.
Pour a herbal tea.
Play soft music.
Let yourself reflect ‘Today I found calm here, even though this is not my normal ritual'.
reframing the narrative.
To the single woman longing for salt on her skin - let this be a time of gentle reinvention. You still deserve ritual and that feeling of renewal that sand and the sea brings. Find your vantage point, bring comfort to yourself and find new ways to welcome the elements.
To the mother or partner who feels the weight of organising days out and wants the ease of ‘beach with the kids’, you’re still offering your loved ones something vital - connection, laughter and freedom to play. Let the day out become a treasure hunt of nature, a backyard lagoon or a dance under the sprinkler.
This moment can be an invitation to slow down, feel the currents of change and to trust that life presents new opportunities when the familiar is unavailable.
The beach still exists and will return to its former glory before we know it (fingers crossed), nothing is permanent after all. Until then we can find other ways to honour what you seek - calm, connection and renewal.
adelaide based resources you can draw on.
It helps to know your local supports and resources. I’ve included a few here for you:
SA Health - the Water Quality Alerts page gives up-to-date information about beach quality .
The Beachsafe app (and website) offers daily reports of beach conditions.
Adelaide National Parks and Wildlife Services website has information about the where, how and what of outdoor adventure.