H2O Could Help

The trees rustle. The loon cries. The gull glides effortlessly through the morning sky in search of its feast. Warm sunlight glistens and glows as it dances across the waves. There’s a feeling of stillness in the gaze of moving water – a wonder, a pause, a deeper breath.

Could being near water actually lower stress? Calm the mind? Improve mental health? The simple answer is yes. 

Marine biologist Wallace J Nichols has coined the phrase Blue Mind. The meditative state of calm, peace, and happiness that can occur when a person is close to water.

Studies have shown that proximity to water can boost levels of feel-good hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. It can also lower cortisol, our stress hormone. 

While it might be most appealing to experience this from the ocean’s shore, staring into the vastness of the sea and sinking our feet in the cool sand, it can be experienced almost anywhere.

Scientists have discovered mental health benefits from visiting a city fountain, sitting beside a stream, swimming in a pool, kayaking on a lake – even taking a bath.

For those who don’t enjoy being in the water, one might consider rock hunting, listening to a tabletop fountain, watching fish in an aquarium, or even viewing imagery online.

When we think about it, it really does make sense. We spent the first nine months in the womb surrounded by water. Water covers about 71% of the Earth’s surface. Cities and towns are built around it. Our bodies are comprised of 60-70% water. We know that our physical bodies depend on it. What we must remember is that our minds depend on it too.

To learn more, visit: The Blue Mind Effect – Why We’re Naturally Drawn to Water.