Photo Credit ( Pixabay )
Every year, some 142 million Americans travel by boat across the country’s waterways, and with a beneficial cause. According to recent studies, being close to, in, on, or under water has positive effects on people’s emotions, behaviors, and psychological health.
Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, a marine biologist and author of “Blue Mind,” the best-selling book on the scientific link between happiness and water, is one of the top researchers on the health advantages of engaging in activities like boating.
“From an economic, ecological, and educational standpoint, the impact of boating on our lives and its essential link to our planet’s waters are well documented,” Dr. Nichols stated. “However, a boat’s impact on our health has been mainly disregarded.”
Thanks to science, we now know that the sight and sound of natural waters can improve wellbeing by reducing cortisol, elevating serotonin, and promoting relaxation.
“Red Mind” is defined as an “edgy high, characterized by stress, anxiety, and fear,” in contrast to the aquatic condition of rest. Although people are influenced by stressors like money and employment, urbanization and a continual reliance on technology have created new stressors that provide no relief from the pressures of the modern world.
“Blue Mind,” a somewhat contemplative state marked by serenity, harmony, and a general sense of enjoyment connected to the water, is an antidote to “Red Mind.”
Dr. Nichols stated, “I have conducted a great deal of research on the advantages of being close to, in, on, or underwater.” “The simplest way to start is to think about everything that is being taken away when we get on a boat.
Things like workplaces, televisions, and road noise all go away. Although its application is understudied and underprescribed, the boat is the best device ever created for accessing and exploring a huge world of “Blue Mind” benefits and escaping the “Red Mind” pattern of an anxious and distracted life on land.
Boating induces a mood of relaxation. It gives us the opportunity to escape our everyday routines, which enables our brains to recharge, see beyond the present situation, and establish a connection with something greater than ourselves.
Boating on water encourages physiological and psychological changes related to happiness and relaxation, awe and wonder, creativity and play, and health and wellness.
Boating resets our brain: People need to recharge their minds now more than ever because Americans are enjoying fewer vacations. Along with the extra advantages of exercise, social interaction, and a connection to nature, being on the water has been demonstrated to promote enjoyment, relaxation, and repair.
Being on a boat is relaxing. While doing nothing at all is a lost skill in our culture, it is more crucial than ever since spending time in nature—especially near water—is a wonderful way to decompress from the demands of contemporary life and work.
Boating is breathtaking. Awe is a significant feeling that aids in transcending ourselves and is specifically linked to self-worth, meaning, purpose, and compassion. One of the greatest places to find wonder is in the water, and boats of various kinds let us feel this wonder.
Stress has been found to stifle creativity, whereas boating encourages play and fosters it. Play is one of the best treatments because it causes endorphins to be released. Play is facilitated by water sports and aquatic activities, which release feel-good chemicals into the body.
Boating stimulates our senses. The sight of water can trigger a rush of feel-good neurochemicals. For people of all ages and abilities, boating fosters a lifetime connection to water that has enormous cognitive, emotional, psychological, social, and spiritual benefits.
