If you don't already have a beach vacation planned, marine
biologist Wallace J. Nichols's new book will make you seriously
reconsider. Blue
Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, Or Under Water
Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, And Better At What You Do (that's
the whole title) is the result of over 10 years of research that shows how
looking at water, being around it or in it coaxes our brains into releasing
happy chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. You can read the Huffington Post article in its entirety at: 5 Scientific Reasons a Beach Vacation is Necessary for Your Health
Below, five theories from Nichols's book that totally "blue" our minds:
1. Water returns us to our natural
state: We're connected to
water from the onset of life. Babies' bodies are 75 percent water. As
we age, we become drier (only 60 percent), but our brains are
still three-fourths water and even our bones are 31
percent water. The brain, which rests in a kind of “clear, colorless
cerebrospinal fluid” in our heads, reacts to water very fondly because, as
Nichols writes, "our ancient ancestors came out of the water and evolved
from swimming to crawling to walking. Human fetuses still have 'gill-slit'
structures in their early stages of development," and the water in our cells
"is comparable to that found in the sea."
2. We're more relaxed along the coast:
Look at the picture to the right. Beautiful, right? The very sight of it, it turns out, subconsciously calms us, and Nichols cites a study ("Functional Neuroanatomy Associated with Natural and Urban Scenic Views in the Human Brain: 3.0T Functional MR Imaging," to be precise) that shows how areas of the brain associated with less stress and more empathy are activated when we look at nature scenes.
3. Looking at pictures is good, but water is even better IRL:
While looking at pictures is one thing, it turns out the real-life natural world also wins over urban landscapes. Nichols references a 2011 study in which a smartphone app called Mappiness tracked the well-being levels of about 22,000 participants. The participants received random prompts to report how happy they were in that moment. According to the over 1.1 million responses that were sent in, not only were people happier when they were outside, they were 5.2 percent happier when near bodies of water.
4. Water rejuvenates a tired mind:
In a section titled, "Water, Nature, and the Optimum Brain," Nichols illustrates that we now have more screens to touch, social networks to update and websites to refresh, and our fatigued brains need to recharge. Water, he theorizes, helps that happen.
Blue, it turns out, is the world's favorite color. Nichols cites a 2003 research project that surveyed 232 people from around the world about their associations with various colors. Forty-two percent of men said blue was their favorite color, while 35 percent of the women surveyed said the same thing -- a majority in both brackets. Nichols isn't surprised. We “evolved on a planet that is primarily shades of water and sky blue,” he writes, so it makes sense that blue stimulates a positive emotional response.
Ready to start letting the beach boost your health? Simply give our friendly rental agents a call today at 877-422-2200 or visit our website at www.siebert-realty.com to check availability, view interior photos and floor plans, and you can even book and pay for your reservation online. Hope to see you at the beach!
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