Friday 17 June 2016

Spending time at beach can transform your mental health and brain – Scientifically explained

Have you ever been through a stressful time in your life, and desired to go on a vacation, away from all the complexities and hectic schedules of life? Have you ever experienced a feeling of rejuvenation, deep relaxation, and contentment after having few days of your life spent at a beach area? This is quite known for most of us that beach indeed gives us a soothing and calming effect, but do you know that beach can have a powerful effect on our wellbeing and on the functioning of our brain.



Let’s dig into few scientifically endorsed facts on how the beach can have a profound effect on our brain and health.

1.     Spending time in beaches can mellow down your stress hormone cortisol level

The sounds we hear near the beach could be one of the major reasons of the calming effect we feel. A lot of research has made by the scientists who concluded and well-differentiated the type of noise which human find relaxing and pleasant, and the kind of voice which are considered as stress inducing and noxious. The noises that have predictable wave pattern, are soft in volume with harmonic frequencies at regular frequencies are believed to be most relaxing and pleasant sounds. All these boxes tick by the voice of the waves of ocean and beaches. According to Shelley Batts, Ph.D., an auditory neuroscientist at Stanford University and a presenter at the first Blue Mind Summit says, the sound of the ocean may have a deeper emotional effect, may trigger deeper feelings of relaxation and security.
There is a stress hormone called cortisol. Airplane noise, or traffic noise or such other noises often cause this hormone to be released. Releasing of this hormone may give rise to health problems related to heart and can also cause ulcer. While the calming and soothing voice of ocean helps us decrease cortisol level which thus gives a positive effect on our overall health and may also prevent potential health problems.

2.     Negative Ions are generated by ocean waves

Negative Ions are tasteless, odorless and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in a certain environment. The negative Ions accelerate our bodies’ ability to absorb oxygen. They also balance our level or serotonin, which is a chemical associated with our mood and stress. The ocean waves produce these negative Ions. This is one of the major reasons why scientist believes that spending some time near beach gives us a sense of health and positive well–being.

3.     The sound of ocean waves also activates your prefrontal cortex

The prefrontal cortex is an area of the brain that is associated with self-reflection and emotions. It engages very well when ocean sounds are played.





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