Why a Day at the Beach is Good for your Mental Health 

Blue spaces reduce stress and anxiety

Being near an expanse of water can help reduce cortisol levels, blood pressure and cholesterol. Researchers also found that being in blue spaces helps reduce stress and anxiety levels. 

According to the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) 65% of people find being near water improves their mental wellbeing.

Going barefoot on the sand boosts endorphins

“Earthing” or “Grounding” is a form of mindfulness that involves walking barefoot, while paying close attention to the feeling of your soles connecting with the ground.

Experts recommend standing or lying on grass, soil or sand for 30 minutes a day to help boost feel-good hormones, decrease stress levels, and connect with nature. 

When we go to the beach, we are often barefoot and connecting with the sand/stones/water around us. 

Being outside increases your vitamin D levels 

Not having enough vitamin D can lead to depression-like symptoms and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include mood changes accompanied by overwhelming feelings of sadness and hopelessness and well as fatigue, anxiety and a loss of interest in activities that previously sparked excitement.

People who are outside more naturally get more vitamin D from the sunshine. In fact you can even get a vitamin D boost on cloudy days. 

Being at the beach means you are spending the day outside, which has many benefits for mental health, including boosting your Vitamin D levels. 

The sea can send you into a meditative state

Staring out to sea can change our brain wave frequency, luring us into a mild meditative state.

The colour blue is associated with feelings of calm and peace and listening to the waves ebb and flow can soothe and relax the brain.

Salty sea air is good for alleviating depression and aiding sleep 

The negative ions in sea air increase your body’s ability to absorb oxygen. Salty sea air also helps balance your serotonin levels – one of the body’s happy hormones.

According to a 2015 study by the National Trust, sea air also helps aid sleep, and found that people sleep 47 minutes longer, on average, the night after a decent seaside hike.

Sea swimming increases mood-elevating hormones and mental resilience 

Any exercise is good for boosting happy hormones, but wild swimming has lots of extra benefits. 

Immersing yourself in cold water increases the production of the mood-elevating hormones dopamine, serotonin and beta-endorphins.

These hormones will help you feel happier and more positive during and after your swim. 

Being in the water also reduces anxiety and stress and increases physical and mental resilience. 

The calming and soothing properties of water can relax your mind and help you reconnect with your body.

Swimming is also a great exercise for focusing on your breathing, and becoming more aware of how you breathe is a helpful mindfulness technique.