The idea of the “calmcation” has appeared everywhere recently, but in practice it usually means something quite simple: giving yourself time somewhere quieter than everyday life and letting the pace slow down naturally.
Sussex is particularly good for that. Within a fairly small area you can move between open downland, woodland, quiet villages and long stretches of coast. It’s easy to spend a few days outdoors without needing much planning, which is often exactly what people want when they’re trying to switch off.
My wife and I run glamping accommodation in both East and West Sussex and this has given us a good view of how visitors respond to that change of pace. Five years ago, during a year-long family road trip across the United States, we spent a lot of time travelling through national parks and remote areas where phone signal simply disappeared. Without the usual digital distractions the days unfolded very differently for us. We walked more, talked more, and noticed the landscape around far more than we might normally. It was the calm we found in that year away that actually led us to start our own rural boltholes in the Sussex countryside so others could find some of the peace and serenity we found by in our year stepping away from the hustle and bustle.
We see this process happen a lot. Guests often arrive a little wired from busy schedules and long drives, but after just a day outdoors the atmosphere changes. Phones are left alone more often, people linger over breakfast, and the countryside starts to become the focus of the day rather than something to look at through a window.
Here are 7 natural ways our guests find the 'calm' in a Sussex break away.
Walking without much of a plan
One of the easiest ways to settle into a slower pace is simply to go for a walk without worrying too much about where it leads.
Ashdown Forest is a place many visitors mention to us. The mix of heathland and woodland means there are plenty of quiet paths where you can wander for a couple of hours without feeling you’re following a fixed route. The landscape feels open and unhurried, which seems to encourage the same approach from the people walking through it.
The South Downs offer something similar. Once you’re up on the ridge the walking is straightforward and the views stretch for miles, so there’s little sense of needing to rush anywhere.
Getting up high
Another thing people often enjoy is gaining a bit of height and looking out across the landscape.
In West Sussex, Cissbury Ring and Chanctonbury Ring are two walks that come up regularly in conversations with guests. Both are ancient hillforts sitting high on the Downs, and the views from the top take in farmland, woodland and the distant coastline. It’s the kind of place where people tend to sit for a while rather than immediately head back down.
Over near Lewes, Mount Caburn offers a similar experience. On many days you’ll see paragliders drifting above the hills, riding the thermals rising from the slopes. Taking a picnic and just watching them swoop all around is remarkably settling.
Eating outside
It’s surprising how much difference it makes to eat outdoors for a few days.
Breakfast on a small terrace, a picnic during a walk, or an evening meal outside while the light fades can easily become the most memorable parts of a stay. Meals tend to stretch out longer and conversations wander a bit more than they might indoors.
It’s a small shift, but it changes the rhythm of the day.
Looking up at night
Evenings in the countryside feel noticeably different from evenings in towns. The South Downs National Park is an International Dark Sky Reserve, so on clear nights the stars are far more visible than many people are used to.
Guests often mention how quiet it feels once darkness settles. Sitting outside for a while and watching the sky gradually fill with stars can be unexpectedly absorbing.
Time in the woods
Woodland walks tend to have a calming effect almost immediately. Sussex has plenty of them, from the deeper woods of Ashdown Forest to smaller pockets of woodland scattered through the South Downs.
People sometimes talk about “forest bathing”, but in reality it just means slowing down a little and spending time in a quieter environment. Walking under trees changes the pace of a day in a very simple way.
Paying attention to wildlife again
Once people slow down a little, the surrounding wildlife tends to become more noticeable as well. Deer sometimes appear at the edge of fields in the early morning, and birds are much easier to hear and identify when there’s less background noise. If you can, take the effort, even if it seems counterintuitive on your escape to the country, to set your alarm early and be up with the birds, it’s so often the best part of the day, and certainly the calmest.
Ending the day by the sea
Living on the Sussex coast ourselves, we often find that the sea provides one of the simplest ways to clear your head.
A couple of spots guests frequently mention are West Beach at Littlehampton (pictured) where dunes create a quiet stretch of shoreline, and Holywell Beach near Eastbourne, where the cliffs of Beachy Head rise above a quieter part of the coast. Both places have the same calming quality: a wide horizon, steady waves and plenty of space to just stand and take it in.
In the end, most calmcations turn out to be less about organised wellness activities and more about small changes in how a day unfolds. A long walk, time outdoors, watching the sky change or sitting beside the sea can be enough to reset the pace. We’re so happy that Sussex happens to make those moments easy to find.
A recent guest sent us a message after their stay which just reiterates the importance of doing 'nothing' in nature:
I’ve realised I really don’t spend enough time simply being out in nature. The past few years have been rough with health problems, work stress and never‑ending broken sleep, but all of that seemed to melt away while we sat in the hot tub listening to the birds and later relaxed by the fire pit with the sound of the stream nearby.
A huge thank you to Guy from Skoolie Stays for taking the time to share tips for making the most of the Sussex countryside on a calmcation.
