Catching Waves of Wellness

A mindful community

Your wellness is our wellness. We started Craftzero to improve your quality of life, to give you the choice to drink better, healthier, smarter. We focus on the individual but we also believe in the power of the community. That is why every month Craftzero donates $1 for every purchase made to an Australian charity. This month’s chosen charity is Waves of Wellness.

Waves of Wellness

“Empowering you to take control of your mental health”

Waves of Wellness is a mental health charity that uses surf therapy to promote mental health and well-being. Their programs are free for all participants as they don’t want any barrier between help and the people who need it. They rely on donations from businesses such as ours to run their sessions.

Their Wow Surfing Experiences are being run in 3 states around Australia with over 120 programs to date. They offer programs for corporate wellness and primary education in addition to their general surf therapy.

Techniques and skills are discussed during this 8-weeks beach-based program by mental health clinicians that are also surf instructors.

It’s a relaxed, non-invasive and comfortable environment that facilitates opening up and sharing.

Mental health and well-being, a conversation worth heaving

According to Australia’s Department of Health, more than half of Australians aged 16 to 85 will experience mental illness at some point in their lives.

That’s 7.3 million people suffering from poor mental health.

While mental illness varies in terms of severity, it’s certainly not to be overlooked. Plus, with the global pandemic causing mental health to plummet for many Australians due to lockdowns and isolation, prioritising mental health has never been more important.

There is an encouraging (and healthy) shift to normalise the concept of ‘mental health and wellbeing’ with an increase in conversation, support, action and interventions to maintaining a healthy mind.

The importance of exercise and nature for mental health

Now more than ever, it is important to get active outdoors. Doing it in nature is called ‘green exercise’, and if it’s in the presence of water ‘blue exercise’. Both have immense positive benefits on our mental health and radically increase our wellbeing. That is because exercise doesn’t just increase our positive mood and self-esteem, it also reduces our stress levels, improves our attention and concentration, and increases our vitality.

Exercising is also cathartic, it’s an outlet for stress, anger, other emotions and pent-up energy. Once we have let it out, it’s easier to control it and deal with it.

Surf therapy for mental health

Activities immersed in water, like surfing as they do at WOW, are proven to have an even greater impact on our wellbeing, including greater stress reduction and increased happiness and self-esteem. Surfing, as an aerobic exercise done outdoors, also reduces our symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Surfing requires pure concentration and forces you to be completely in the moment, aware of your surroundings, your body and the ocean. Surfing is mindfulness in action. You’re meditating in the ocean and you’re completely in the zone, or what is known as the ‘flow state’.

Mental health and alcohol consumption

At Craftzero we’re strong advocates of limiting alcohol consumption and enjoying non-alcoholic beers or an alcohol-free wine instead. Alcohol can have a major impact on mental health. Because alcohol is a depressant, it slows your body down and changes the chemical makeup in your brain. It is an addictive substance that can make an existing problem of anxiety and stress feel a lot worse, and recovery harder.

Waves of Wellness x Craftzero

Wellness is a huge part of our purpose at Craftzero. Helping our fellow Aussies find ways to cope with mental illness is right in our alley of promoting a higher quality of life for everyone.

Especially after the year we’ve all had, consider buying for a cause and supporting WOW today. Whether your New Year’s Resolution is to drink less or to give more, do both by shopping on Craftzero.

Please check out foundationwow.org to learn more about Waves of Wellness and see how you can get involved. Consider making an individual donation or order a few bottles of alcohol-free wine to contribute.

Every little bit helps. Let’s help more Australians ride the waves of life with stronger mental health today!

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Alcohol-Free beer on the rise, read our blog post THE TOP 10 REASONS WHY NON ALCOHOLIC BEER IS HERE TO STAY to know why.