Getting out of the house after being stuck inside due to the pandemic can do wonders, but does getting to the seaside trump the places to go to improve your mental health?
The Covid-19 lockdown took a massive toll on people’s mental health worldwide. Being stuck inside for prolonged periods of time, not seeing friends and family, isolation and much more have put a strain on people’s mental health. And as we come out of the lockdown, people are mentally still reeling from these effects.
One way people have found to deal with their mental health issues is by leaving their house. Specifically, it has been found that being by the sea has amazing mental health benefits.
Studies
A study conducted by the University of Exeter in 2019 shows that living in towns or cities near England’s coastline is linked to better mental health.
Additionally, another study was done involving 20,000 smartphone users recording their mental wellbeing at various intervals. It found that coastal spots are the ‘happiest locations’, faring six times higher than urban areas.
In an interview with The Guardian, Dr Matthew White, an environmental psychologist, argues that there are three main factors linking the coastal living and positive mental health.
- More sunlight and less polluted air.
- People living by the sea are often more active.
His third point relates to water having a ‘psychologically restorative effect’. Meaning that time consistently spent by the water has links to reduced negative moods and reduced stress.
Benefits of being by the sea
One reason people feel less stressed when around the sea could simply be because of its colour. The colour blue is associated with feelings of calmness, peace and tranquillity.
The ebb and flow of the waves as well as the natural swell of the sea naturally soothes and relaxes the brain.
The fresh, salty air on a beach is rich with negative ions, which are believed to help alleviate stress and depression. This, linked with increasing levels of Vitamin D from the sun all link together to make us feel happier.