Walking among trees and green plants is beneficial for psychological comfort, as previous scientific studies have shown. But if you want to get rid of daily stress, and recharge your batteries, the best place for that is not the forest, but the sea, according to a recent study published by the German “stern” website.
People who live near seas and rivers tend to be happier and healthier compared to residents of other regions. This is the finding of a recent study conducted by environmental psychologist, Matthew White, from the University of Exeter in Britain. With his research team, the psychologist interviewed more than 16,000 people from 18 countries about their living conditions and their physical and mental health.
happier than city dwellers
However, the current study by White and colleagues is not the only survey that indicates a therapeutic effect of blue landscapes on humans. Researchers about Susana Morato of the London School of Economics and George McKerron of the University of Sussex started a survey a decade ago, which ended up with more than a million answers. The result was: that people among nature are always much happier than city dwellers. This applies primarily to areas with mostly green areas such as forests, meadows and mountains, but especially to coastal areas. On the 100-point happiness scale, coastal areas scored about six points better than cities, and green natural areas were, on average, only two points better than urban areas.
In terms of green landscapes, this is nothing new. It is no coincidence that the Japanese practice of “forest bathing” is becoming increasingly common in Western countries. According to several studies, the intense experience of the jungle, which has been practiced in the Asian country since the 1980s, has a relaxing effect and can reduce stress hormones and blood pressure.
Being among nature brings with it many other benefits to human health. Scientists have been able to demonstrate that we become more alert, creative and relaxed when we spend a lot of time among both green and blue landscapes.
What makes staying by the sea better than walking in the woods?
According to the results of several studies conducted by environmental psychologist, Matthew White, the sea encourages us to be more active. So it is not enough just to be by the water, to feel the positive effects, we also have to feel connected to the nature there.
If being among nature is a free choice and you enjoy the sea breeze, the effects may go as far as relieving symptoms of ADHD, anxiety disorders and depression. In the absence of physical presence, it is sufficient to mentally travel to the sea. A 2017 study showed that people who had their teeth extracted felt less pain when they took a virtual walk on the beach.
There are many other hypotheses about this, as published in an article in “Spektrum”. Perhaps most commonly, the sea is characterized by constant movement and its appearance is constantly changing due to the movement of waves and winds. We can quickly distract ourselves from negative thoughts through vision and noise through the harmony of an impressive landscape. This basically applies to every human being regardless of his social make-up and origin. A study from 2019 showed that even people with low incomes fare better than average if they live near the sea. According to the researchers, the relaxing effect of the sea can relieve stressful and stressful living conditions.
The question remains: How do you feel when you are near the sea or diving inside it?
Mother
-
Seas and oceans… a mysterious world moaning in silence
Our blue planet
The oceans cover about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and embrace the world of marine life, the essential part of life, as they produce between 50 and 80 percent of oxygen, and thus play an important role in the carbon cycle on Earth. Scientists believe that the origin of the seas dates back 4.4 billion years.
-
Seas and oceans… a mysterious world moaning in silence
Seas and oceans..a world full of secrets
Away from its vast area, the information we have about the oceans is very limited, which poses a challenge to scientists who are constantly striving to uncover the secrets of life in the oceans and seas. It is important at this point in time, which is witnessing clear climatic changes, to know the changes that occur in the life cycles within the seas and oceans and to deal with them in the best possible way.
-
Seas and oceans… a mysterious world moaning in silence
A natural air conditioner for the planet
The oceans play a pivotal role in regulating the Earth’s heat by absorbing and reflecting sunlight, and climate changes have begun to affect this mechanism, affecting the planet’s temperature, the carbon cycle and oxygen production.
-
Seas and oceans… a mysterious world moaning in silence
Various forms of life
The seas and oceans embrace at least 230,000 species of plants and animals, as fish and non-vertebrate animals find a safe place in the depths of water bodies. open water.
-
Seas and oceans… a mysterious world moaning in silence
Weirdest and most amazing creatures
Scientists believe that more than two-thirds of life forms in the oceans and seas have yet to be discovered. Every year, scientists discover new types of plants and animals, which are completely different from everything that has been discovered so far, just like this creature that scientists called “the worm fish”, after its discovery in 2007.
-
Seas and oceans… a mysterious world moaning in silence
Warning alarm!
The loss of color of these algae is a sign of danger. The flourishing color of these organisms and their rapid growth depend on microorganisms, whose work is affected by environmental pollution and high temperatures, and this is what appears in their dull color.
-
Seas and oceans… a mysterious world moaning in silence
Organisms that cannot protect themselves from heat
Climate changes represent a clear threat to life in the seas and oceans, as recent studies have detected a rapid increase in the rates of extinction of some types of fish and marine organisms, up to twice as much compared to similar species on land. The high temperature is primarily responsible for these changes, as aquatic organisms in the seas and oceans do not find places to shelter from the high temperatures.
-
Seas and oceans… a mysterious world moaning in silence
Innumerable dangers of melting ice
The increase in global temperature is causing the melting of snow in the icy areas, which in turn leads to a rise in the water levels in the seas and oceans, as well as the release of methane gas, which leads to the phenomenon known as “ocean acidity”, which refers to an increase in the acidity of water bodies.
-
Seas and oceans… a mysterious world moaning in silence
Human connection with water..a threatening relationship?
Thousands of years ago, different peoples settled along the shores and benefited from the seas as sources of life and food, and the seas and oceans clearly affected different civilizations. And now about a billion people live in coastal areas..life has become threatened due to the rising levels of water bodies.
-
Seas and oceans… a mysterious world moaning in silence
Protecting wildlife..challenges for future generations
The percentage of water bodies that humans have not approached so far, constitutes no more than 13 percent of the total area of water bodies in the world. Fishing operations, in addition to technological developments, have left almost no area, no matter how remote and uninhabited it seems. Protecting these few areas is a great responsibility for future generations. You are Malls/AFP
