THE WONDER OF WATER
If you’re angry, anxious, despondent or depressed, you are not alone. The coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns of 2020 were tough on all of us. But don’t believe that we are all doomed to barren Plains of Hopelessness: Our ‘blue mind’ and the health benefits of aquatic environments offer the solution for our restlessness – for free. Whether it’s a brook babbling over smooth pebbles, a water feature in your garden, a sparkling blue swimming pool, the caress of a spa experience or, best of all, the deep-blue sea, a dark mood can be lifted in a flash simply through exposure to water.
Dr Wallace J Nichols, marine biologist and author of the best seller 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 (Little, Brown, 2014), says most communities are built near water, not just for practical reasons, but also because people are naturally drawn to blue space. Merely being close to a body of water, be it sea, river, lake or swimming pool, or simply hearing the sound of water, like a fountain, promotes mental health and happiness, he writes.
