The idea of looking out the window and seeing the sea, of going down to buy bread and being able to step on the sand on the beach for a while or take a good dip, of feeling the smell of sea water and the murmur of the waves seems to always be there. Associated with romanticism, calm and well-being. But what is true in all this? Is there evidence that living near the sea is positive for our health? There are studies that confirm that this is the case. A recent article from The Mind is Wonderful List in six the psychological benefits of being near the sea. The first of these is that it induces states of calm and relaxation, relieving stress and nervousness and helping to combat anxiety problems.
The second proven benefit is that generates positive emotions and feeds the feeling of well-being, happiness and fulfillment. In this way it helps to combat possible depressive states. But it is also, and this is the third benefit, promotes mindfulness and helps to free the mind from worries. Fourth, live near the sea stimulates creativity and promotes concentration. Hence the cliché of writers and artists who spend a season near the sea to complete their work.
finally the sea provides mental clarity, better cognitive functioning and in sixth place It enhances sleep quality. It is able to prevent disorders such as insomnia. But how is it possible that it has so many benefits? According to the same article The Mind is Wonderful, living or being close to a natural environment triggers changes in the body and mind, which somewhat alleviate the sensation of saturation of accelerated stimuli that the city brings us. The blue color also has emotional effects that have to do with calm and relaxation, which is why looking towards the sea is one of the preferred ways of meditating for many people.
The oxygenation of the sea breeze helps to reduce tension and combat signs of anxiety, as well as stimulate better functioning of the prefrontal cortex, responsible for reasoning, analysis and decision-making. The noise of the waves also promotes relaxationwhich is why some even use recordings to fall asleep, and finally entering the sea and the associated feeling of weightlessness provides muscle relaxation. It’s a pity that for many, going to live near the sea is impossible, for work or economic reasons.