Why the Beach Is Good for Your Mental Health

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBeing Near WaterVitamin DFresh AirRelaxationMindfulnessBonding With Others

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Being Near Water

Vitamin D

Fresh Air

Relaxation

Mindfulness

Bonding With Others

Close

When the sun is out and warmweatheris in the forecast, heading to the beach is a no-brainer for most.

But, what makes the beach such an excellent place formental health? Three words—water, sun, and air. All of these natural elements offer some form of mental health benefits that helps the mind relax and allow the opportunity for social gathering.

Being Near Crisp Blue Water Can Improve Your Overall Health

Being near blue bodies of water like oceans, pools, rivers, lakes, and ponds can potentially provide various mental and physical health benefits such as:

Because of the many benefits of being near water, health practitioners are beginning to recommend getting near (or going in) bodies of water to improve your overall well-being.

The Color Blue: Meaning and Color Psychology

Vitamin D From the Sun Can Help Boost Your Mood

Experts have found moderatesunlightto positively influence mental well-being.The sun can help increase serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter involved in mood functioning.That big yellow star also helps us makevitamin D, which can be important to our mood.

Additionally, vitamin D helps maintain bone health and a robust immune system.

Don’t Stay Out in the Sun for Too Long Though!

Fresh Air Is Always a Good Thing

Fresh air is generally beneficial to both the mind and body. Researchers discovered that participating inoutdoor activitieshas a more significant impact on mental health than doing those activities indoors.

Another research study surveyed university students, and many individuals indicated nature and leisure time to be vital contributors to their well-being and health.It was found that being in nature makes them feel happy thus allowing people to associate nature with positive feelings like tranquility, peace, relaxation, and ease.

Even doing the simplest of acts outside can make you feel good. By taking a deep breath or putting aside some time for a quick jog, you can reap nature’s benefits.

Maybe even grab your yoga mat and do your usual meditation outside, or grab your work laptop and work outside for a nice change of scenery.

Relaxing On the Beach Helps You Destress

The beach provides a space for both children and adults to be physically active while being in nature but primarily allows the opportunity to destress and have fun. Interestingly enough, research actually backs this up!

The ability to relax and set aside other tasks for a few hours is one of the reasons people look forward to going to the beach.

You Can Practice Mindfulness at the Beach

The beach is a great place to practicemindfulness. Approaches to mindfulness include listening to the ocean’s waves, or the laughter of others, feeling the breeze of the wind or the coarse sand on your toes, and water and sun on your skin.

You can also admire the beach’s scenic view as the ocean water meets the blue sky.

It’s the Perfect Place to Bond With Other People

What This Means For YouWhether your goal is to work on your tan, feel the sand between your toes, or take a dip into the cool ocean water, the beach can find a way to put asmileon your face. Enjoying all of this with loved ones makes this experience even more remarkable. So, if you are looking for some time outdoors and a little mood boost, consider a trip (or two) to the beach.

What This Means For You

Whether your goal is to work on your tan, feel the sand between your toes, or take a dip into the cool ocean water, the beach can find a way to put asmileon your face. Enjoying all of this with loved ones makes this experience even more remarkable. So, if you are looking for some time outdoors and a little mood boost, consider a trip (or two) to the beach.

How Weather Changes Can Affect Your Mental Health

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Hart J. Blue Space:How Being Near Water Benefits Health.Alternative and Complementary Therapies.2019;25(4). doi:10.1089/act.2019.29228.jha

Holick MF.Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease.Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;80(6 Suppl):1678S-88S. doi:10.1093/ajcn/80.6.1678S

Sansone RA, Sansone LA.Sunshine, serotonin, and skin: a partial explanation for seasonal patterns in psychopathology?Innov Clin Neurosci. 2013 Jul;10(7-8):20-4. PMID: 24062970; PMCID: PMC3779905.

Menon V, Kar SK, Suthar N, Nebhinani N.Vitamin D and depression: A critical appraisal of the evidence and future directions.Indian J Psychol Med. 2020;42(1):11-21. doi:10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_160_19

Mitchell R.Is physical activity in natural environments better for mental health than physical activity in other environments?.Soc Sci Med. 2013;91:130-134. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.04.012

Young J, McGrath R, Adams C.Fresh air, sunshine and happiness: Millennials building health (salutogenesis) in leisure and nature.Annals of Leisure Research.2018;3:324-346. doi:10.1080/11745398.2018.1458634

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