Humorist Dave Barry once said, “There comes a time in a man’s life when he hears the call of the sea. If the man has a brain in his head, he will hang up the phone immediately.”
Hanging up the phone and spending time on the water is not only smart, but it could even save your life.
Wallace J. Nichols, author 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, explains that “the top ten causes of death around the world can either be caused or exacerbated by stress.”
Nichols’s research demonstrates that time spent on or around water reduces stress and can even help you to become healthier.
“We seek environments that allow us to get away from our usual routines,” Nichols states in his book, “that allow us to feel part of something greater than ourselves, to let us pursue new activities or to simply do nothing at all.”
Nichols explains that spending time on the water helps to achieve what he describes as Blue Mind, “a mildly meditative state characterized by calm, peacefulness, unity and a sense of general happiness and satisfaction in life in the moment.” The blue mind state can help you be happier, healthier, better connected in your relationships and even better at your work.
In our fast-paced world, the best medicine is to leave technology behind and spend some quality time on the water. Too many of us are stressed about everything because we are suffocated with not just work and personal conflicts, but also technology and media. Our sleep has no rhythm because our phones are with us 24/7 keeping us constantly on alert for every beep and ping.
“Perpetually exhausted, we make bad decisions at work, at home, or on the playing field, and behind the wheel,” explains Nichols. “We get flabby because we decide we don’t have the time to take care of ourselves” because our extra hours are flooded with technology and media. “We say the wrong things to people we love, and love the wrong things because expediency and proximity make it easier to embrace what’s passing right in front of us.”
Being around water increases our sense of wellness and happiness. In this stressful world where technology isolates us from nature, “casting off is wonderful.”
So, hang up the phone and get out on the water. The Great Lakes are calling.
For More Information:
To learn more about Blue Mind, purchase Nichols’s book.
www.amazon.com
