Research Claims Being Around Water Makes Us Happier
A marine biologist and the author of the Blue Mind, Dr Wallace J. Nichols proved in his 368-pagerjournal how beneficial being around a water body is! According to him, human beings are fascinated by nature’s blue mainly because they link it with being peaceful. He also believes that water increases creativity and strengthens the quality of our conversations with others. Hence, this research-backed book confirms thatbeing near water is the key to “achieving an elevated and sustained happiness.”
We can all relate to the fact that whenever we go somewhere on a vacation, we see many people around pools or on beaches. Sometimes people even pay money to be near or in water. An example of which is the floating pod off the coast of France for which one has to pay $336 per night. While talking to Condé Nast Traveler, Nichols described how people don’t just pay this amount to be in the water but for a feeling that they experience by being there.
A study called the Blue Gym was conducted in the UK which found out that people who live near the coasts are happier and healthier. Including the sea in your exercise in any form, either swimming or kayaking or just jogging along a beach can be very beneficial. This concept is called “blue exercise.” It has been proven in studies that floating in seawater can lower the level of stress hormones, improve speed, reduce blood pressure and help in muscle recovery.
But for a person who doesn’t like to be under or inside water too much, listening to the sound waves can help in lowering the level of stress for him/her. Research in Spain’s University of Granada found out that people link positive feelings and thoughts with the sound of water. Some people even listen to the sound of waves in order to fall asleep. The author of The Sleep Solution, W. Christopher Winter believes in the research which says that people sleep better when they are next to nature. He, therefore, believes that this might be the reason why sleep machines use the sounds of rain, the ocean or a flowing river.
Aquatic therapists are now looking to water in order to help cure and manage Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, addiction, anxiety disorders, autism and more. It is believed that if further studies are conducted, there is a hope to find a lot of things that water can cure. Then, maybe it isn’t wrong to say that water might itself become a medicine in the future.
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