Covering more than 70% of the planet and nearly 70% of our bodies, there is no denying the importance of water in our day-to-day lives. But how important is our relationship to the masses of liquid that exists in different shapes and forms all around us? Research show that the odds of increased happiness and life quality are higher if you are living less than a kilometre from the coast. But why is that? ‘Blue mind’ mentality, coined by Marine Biologist Wallace J. Nichols in 2015, has become a common buzzword in our contemporary setting with more and more people embracing the theory. Wallace describes the term as the “mildly meditative state we fall into when near, in, on, or underwater,” – the antidote to the modern life’s over- connected, anxious and over-simulated state. In Cornwall, it’s not unusual to hear that the reason for moving from ‘the big smog’, London, was to ‘get away from it all’. Living by the coast gives you endless opportunities to embrace a different lifestyle. Paddle boarding can suddenly become your daily commute, team meetings can be done on the coast path, the kids can learn to swim in shallow rock pools and you can surf the optimal waves both before and after work. Because now you have time and access. Studies suggest that people who live less than a kilometre from the coast are around 22 per cent less likely to have symptoms of a mental health disorder, compared to those who live 50 kilometres away. Sea swimming releases endorphins and encourages deep breathing, which leads to a meditate-like state whilst surfing has been found to be so healing it’s often used in recovery programmes to replace the ‘high’ that comes with substance abuse. Whether you’re a swimmer, surfer, kayaker or a jolly stone skipper, the ‘blue mind’ mentality quickly becomes part of your DNA once you start living by the sea. Research is constantly being conducted to further explain the phenomenon but there is no denying that there is nothing quite like the shock of the majestic Atlantic Ocean hitting your skin. Adrenaline pumping through your veins, instantly bringing you into the very moment you are living in now. A reminder that life is much, much more than just sitting at an office desk.
Newquay Activity Centre Set up by pro bodyboarder, Rob Barber, Newquay Activity Centre is the number one activity provider in the South West. Whether you want to learn to surf, bodyboard, coasteer, stand-up paddle board, kayaking or try something totally extreme, they’re doing it and are raring to share the buzz. newquayactivitycentre.co.uk
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BLUE MIND MENTALITY
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