Blue Mind Science: The Universal Calming Effect of Being Near Water

What do you do when you are facing tough times? For my friends and I, the remedy for life troubles was simple: we would pile into someone's car, pick up smoothies or bubble tea, and go for a drive. Our town is about ten minutes from the beach, and so we would simply ride up and down PCH. We enjoyed being between the rich beach houses and the expansive sea. The salty wind would blow through open car windows and help us breathe as we talked out our problems. And honestly, this sea-inspired cure never failed. I had always believed this trick to simply be a personal preference until I learned about "blue mind science."

Blue mind science is the phenomenon of how people in or around aquatic environments experience a wide variety of health benefits. These environments could involve an ocean, lake, river, any kind of aquatic ecosystem. Studies have demonstrated water to be a positive perceptive experience in urban environments, particularly related to restorativeness. Many people report strong emotional attachments to aquatic environments and view them to be a therapeutic landscape. One's stress relief and energization could be affected by factors like air quality, weather, and tide levels.

(All in all, this theory gives a bonus reason for why we as humans should be working to protect the environment rather than continuing to carelessly destroy it... Just sayin'.)

THE BLUE BOOK

In his best-selling book called "Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do," marine biologist Wallace Nichols writes about -- well, you could probably guess from the title what the book is about. 😂

The book is available for order on Amazon. However, if you just want a crash course on the research, here is an interview with the author about his research: 'Blue Mind': Why being near the water makes you happy

So the next time you are looking for a real-life "happy place," check out your local aquatic ecosystem!

REFERENCES

Blue Mind Research & References

"I'm always entirely happy when I'm here!" Urban blue enhancing human health and well-being in Cologne and Düsseldorf, Germany

Effect of environmental conditions on perceived psychological restorativeness of coastal parks

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