In a two-year study surveying 2,750 respondents, University of Plymouth researchers found that visits to the coast were more psychologically beneficial than those to other outdoor locations. The sea enhances positive feelings, boosts well-being, and offers enjoyment, calm, and refreshment.
When asked how people can break old habits and build new, healthier ones, Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, says: “Take a walk outside.” Add to that the fact that empathy, altruism, and gratitude make us happier and healthier, and you’ve got just the right mix for a brain-building vacation.
If we simply connect the dots between all these elements it’s clear that a walk along the water—be it a bay, ocean, lake, or river—can be very, very good for us.
The flip-side of the Blue Mind coin is “Red Mind,” which includes the stress, despair, and even anger caused by a dead sea, an oil spill, or a beach covered with plastic. Blue Mind only works if the water is clean and healthy. Too much Red Mind will lead to burnout and make you sick. All the more reason to get involved in efforts to protect and restore the blue parts of our planet wherever you are.
But all this is just the very tip of the Blue Mind iceberg. As cognitive science and the ocean get to know each other better, expect more interesting insights and confirmations of the important message about getting outside, taking a walk, helping the ocean, connecting with wildlife, and getting your Blue Mind on.
The next time life’s stressors weigh on your shoulders or you face a creative roadblock, this ocean doctor suggests you take two miles of waterside walking, combined with releasing a couple of baby sea turtles. But please don’t call me in the morning.
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Absorbing water views—yes, volunteering on a sea turtle nesting beach—
can be very good for your brain.