Why We Created Explore & Chill with a Little Bit of English

We are a couple in our 60s who have spent more than 35 years living with the challenges of mental health within our family. Those years have tested every part of life—relationships, friendships, children, work, and even our own health. Over time, one truth has become clear: while people living with mental health conditions often have at least some form of support, those of us who provide the support are usually left with none.

That gap—between the help available for the person in crisis and the help needed by those who carry the weight around them—has shaped everything we are doing here.

A turning point

In the midst of years of chaos, we were fortunate to connect with a small group in London. It was led by a therapist, and we met weekly—first in person, later on Zoom after the pandemic changed everything. That group was a lifeline. It gave us a safe space to talk, to offload, to practice something many of us had neglected for decades: self-care.

We encouraged one another to take small steps—going for a walk, spending time by the sea, picking up a puzzle, trying something new. These moments of self-care didn’t change the situations we were living through, but they gave us a way to breathe, to carry on, and to rediscover some balance.

From that experience came the conviction that more people need this. Not more theory, not more pressure to “fix” themselves—but real opportunities to pause, to share, to explore, and to care for themselves while still carrying the responsibilities of life.

What Explore & Chill aims to do

Explore & Chill with a Little Bit of English is built around that conviction. We want to help people who are stretched, who are supporting loved ones, who are living in relentless stress, to make space for themselves.

That means:

• Breaking the cycle of doomscrolling. Our content is designed to be calming, not over-stimulating. It encourages you to switch off from the endless scroll and engage in something restorative.

• Encouraging live commitment. It’s easy to say “I’ll watch that later.” But later often never comes. That’s why we focus on live streams, group walks, and scheduled activities that ask for a real-time commitment—small steps that build into healthier habits.

• Introducing new skills and gentle challenges. From Tai Chi to knitting, puzzles to colouring, we want to offer new ways of stimulating the mind and shifting focus away from stress.

• Exploring together. Our live-streamed walks, artist sessions, cooking demos, or even views from an aircraft cockpit at 35,000 feet give people access to experiences they wouldn’t normally have. Some will be simply for enjoyment, others will spark curiosity or conversation.

• Building real-world connections. Through monthly wellness walks, geocaches with collectible stamps, or retreats in dark-sky locations, we’re encouraging people to meet, to share, and to feel less alone.

Why retreats matter

At the higher tiers of membership, we provide access to our retreat cottages in quiet, dark-sky regions. These aren’t hotels. They are simple, restorative spaces, designed to help you step away completely. Here, the night sky glows with the Milky Way, the wildlife is abundant, and the silence can be profound. We know from personal experience that a few days in such a place can reset the mind in ways that little else can.

A community that decides together

We don’t want to prescribe every step. Explore & Chill is designed to grow with its members. Polls, community votes, and shared decisions will shape the activities, the content of wellness boxes, and even how funds are used—for example, choosing between more boxes or funding therapy calls. This flexibility allows the community to steer what is most valuable to them.

Why it matters

Our motivation is simple: we know the toll of long-term caregiving, of codependency, of living in a house full of chaos and mental health challenges. We also know how small acts of self-care, and the encouragement of a supportive community, can be life-changing.

Explore & Chill with a Little Bit of English exists to fill the gaps we felt for so long. It is a space to pause, to learn, to share, and to recover balance. Whether you start with a calming video or immerse yourself in live events and retreats, the goal is the same: to help you find your way back to yourself.

Robin & Haslina