An interesting article caught my eye this morning Blue Spaces - The Guardian - Pocket
Why time spent near water is the secret of happiness
- Thread starter Captain Larry-DH
- Start date
BoatUS posted something similar
"blue space"
Science Says Boating Is Good For Health Who would have thunk? Nice article in new BoatUS issue. Link should work.
forums.sailboatowners.com
"But there is this really human sense of: ‘Oh, look, there’s the sea’ – and the shoulders drop.”
Nice.
An interesting aspect of this article is; while all and any water improves well being (according to data and results of this study), it is being near the ocean that brings the highest well being to the respondents.
The author attributes this added salty something to the power of ocean tides. That idea has merit. The ocean pulses with life in it's tidal energy, renewing constantly.
I'm thinking these results are partly skewed because this is essentially an EU study and many respondents will be on large islands like Britain, Ireland, or those with large amounts of nearby coastline (France, Spain, etc). EU'ers get to salt water more often than many inland people here in the US.
Also: most lakes in the EU are not that large so that may skew the results to the 'big water' effect of the ocean.
We in the US have the Great Lakes which are enormous. Here at the SBO we have many - perhaps a majority(?) - that sail on the great lakes.
This has me thinking: With the results of this study pointing toward the highest satisfaction coming from proximity to the ocean, could you assume that sailing on the old briny is just a little bit better, than sailing on fresh water?
Lakes, no matter the size, lack this tidal dimension with it's potential 'well being' effect.
Or is it the opposite? Or maybe no difference? I can't say as I've never sailed on the Great Lakes, only smaller ones (Lake Champlain-beautiful but limited size).
What do you think?
The author attributes this added salty something to the power of ocean tides. That idea has merit. The ocean pulses with life in it's tidal energy, renewing constantly.
I'm thinking these results are partly skewed because this is essentially an EU study and many respondents will be on large islands like Britain, Ireland, or those with large amounts of nearby coastline (France, Spain, etc). EU'ers get to salt water more often than many inland people here in the US.
Also: most lakes in the EU are not that large so that may skew the results to the 'big water' effect of the ocean.
We in the US have the Great Lakes which are enormous. Here at the SBO we have many - perhaps a majority(?) - that sail on the great lakes.
This has me thinking: With the results of this study pointing toward the highest satisfaction coming from proximity to the ocean, could you assume that sailing on the old briny is just a little bit better, than sailing on fresh water?
Lakes, no matter the size, lack this tidal dimension with it's potential 'well being' effect.
Or is it the opposite? Or maybe no difference? I can't say as I've never sailed on the Great Lakes, only smaller ones (Lake Champlain-beautiful but limited size).
What do you think?
I think boats float a little higher in salt water.
To add related questions:
Are people happier near the coast wearing a PFD with harness; or offshore and untethered?
Are people happier on or near the water with cellphones off?
That's one of the best parts of sailing away from shore. No signal.
Let's not forget that the salinity of the ocean closely matches the salinity of our bodies.
As far as skewed data goes, this study is based on a self-reported feeling of wellbeing by participants who were conscious of the question of their wellbeing. Those who think about and care about their wellbeing more, tend to seek natural spaces. Those who don't accept such a premise, are less likely to find the time to spend on healthy relaxing pursuits like laying under the Sun on a beach.
I believe the conclusion of the study, but that is one difficult experiment to keep impartial.
-Will (Dragonfly)
As far as skewed data goes, this study is based on a self-reported feeling of wellbeing by participants who were conscious of the question of their wellbeing. Those who think about and care about their wellbeing more, tend to seek natural spaces. Those who don't accept such a premise, are less likely to find the time to spend on healthy relaxing pursuits like laying under the Sun on a beach.
I believe the conclusion of the study, but that is one difficult experiment to keep impartial.
-Will (Dragonfly)
I read into the report a little and see that the respondents were prompted at various times during the day with a set of simple questions about how they felt. Coupled to that, the phones GPS recorded their location of which I don't think the respondents were aware of.
Plus EU'ers I believe report a higher quality of life than the rest of the world (including the US) so that comes into play. A Danish woman I know when asked about her countries high quality of life responded, "That's because we Dane's have low expectations".
Does the report say anything about the condition of the water?
Maybe the water doesn't have to be blue!? Maybe white water also works. If that's true, I should be feeling quite well this morning
-Will (Dragonfly)
Maybe the water doesn't have to be blue!? Maybe white water also works. If that's true, I should be feeling quite well this morning
-Will (Dragonfly)
I wonder how much of that is anxiety induced by the North American need for safety. We have warning labels on coffee take out cups saying you can get a burn, we aren't allowed to climb ladders without safety at heights training. There are clear advantages to being careful about many things but there is also an underlying negative which induces anxiety in people that grow up with so many warnings that could undermine quality of life. I must admit, I don't know how the Danes approach safety warnings or if there is any real correlation - just musing thinking.