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A Trip to the Beach Actually Changes your Brain

Everyone knows that spending quality time outdoors is great for your mind, body, and well-being. However, neuroscientists recently have revealed that spending time at the beach, in particular, has significant and long-lasting benefits you just can’t get in other nature activities.

Most people experience incredible feelings of relaxation, tranquility, and peace at the beach. This is not your imagination! Neuroscientists claim that there is a change in the way your brain reacts to this environment that leaves you feeling re-energized, relaxed, and refreshed. Your brain is immersed in soothing sounds and smells that feel hypnotic. Researchers now refer to this state of being as “blue space.”

Here are six primary ways that spending time at the beach and connecting with “blue space” affects your body and soul:

You Physically Connect with Nature

The beach is the only place where it is acceptable and even expected that you directly connect with nature. You walk barefoot through the surf, run your fingers through the sand, and sit directly on the ground. You allow the waves to wash over you. You come into physical contact with the earth in a way you do not do while engaging in other outdoor activities such as walking through the woods or hiking in the mountains. In doing so, you directly connect with the vibrational energy of the earth’s core, thus raising your own vibrational energy. You connect with the harmony of nature in a way that is more powerful than any other outdoor activity. This promotes harmony and wellness in your mind and body.

Going to the Beach Restores Balance

Ocean waves have a rhythm that parallels the cyclical flow of energy in our bodies. When you observe and connect with the flow of waves, you are regulating the natural pattern of energy flow that is inherent in your natural state of being. This pattern becomes disrupted by the demands of daily living which includes deadlines, obligations, and schedules. When you relax at the beach, you allow the rhythmic movement of the tides to restore the natural balance of your mind and body.

It Reduces Stress

Stress occurs when circumstances or the demands of daily living exceed your ability to cope. This throws off the balance of neurochemicals in your brain that regulate emotions and well-being. Water is one of Mother Nature’s most effective cures because it is full of naturally occurring elements and minerals that reduce stress and help you feel at ease. The hypnotic sounds of waves combined with the smell of ocean air enhances feelings of wellness and relaxation.

Whether you are body surfing, dipping your toes in the ocean, or simply strolling along the beach, you are definitely going to experience a feeling of relaxation and a reduction in stress.

It Increases Your Creativity

Have you ever been stuck in a creative rut? Scientists now believe that the solution to this may actually be at the beach!

Physically connecting to the sand and water can help you clear your head and approach your problems in a more creative manner. The rhythmic movement of the ocean waves promotes use of both the right and left hemispheres of your brain and this promotes creativity. Similar to meditation, the beach can enhance a feeling of stillness that allows you to eliminate extraneous noise and helps you to focus and to access your creative potential.

It Can Help Reduce Depression

In addition to enhancing your creativity, the beach can also provide relief to symptoms of depression. Nature has a gentle way of helping you become a happier person.

Sunshine has been shown to have an association with serotonin, a key neurotransmitter in the ability to experience pleasure. Sunlight and warm weather also trigger the release of dopamine.  Neuroscientists know the manner in which serotonin and dopamine hack into our feelings of happiness and well-being.

Researchers in a recent study found that being near water made participants feel happier, calmer, and more refreshed than spending time in urban parks or the countryside. Spending time near the water increases feelings of well-being and relaxation and decreases depression. Water can be a great way to quickly boost your mood!

It will Change Your Perspective on Life

Researchers as well as poets, philosophers, and musicians have long known that the ocean is a wonderful metaphor for the infinite nature of energy, and the circle of life.  The flow of the tides represents the sacred and divine aspects of the universe. The tides also restore the natural tranquility all of us innately possess, often unknowingly. For this reason, spending time at the beach encourages you to identify your purpose in life and also helps you realign your soul.

Neuroscientists know the manner in which spending time at the beach is so crucial for mind/body wellness. So grab your sun tan lotion and pack your picnic baskets, because it’s time to head to the beach!