You must have often heard people ask each other, if they are a beach person or a mountain person. Well, for me, a beach getaway is perfect. I remember visiting a popular beach during my childhood and feeling excited, happy and playful all at once. The sun, the tan and the sand – everything about a beach feels wonderful to me.
“There is no place like home. Except the beach,” this saying shows what an absolute favourite beaches are with most people. The tranquillity and serenity of the white sands, the emerald blue waters or the naughtiness of the gurgling waves – a beach vacation is luxury gifted by nature. This is why even in the midst of a crisis, if you recall your last beach vacation as a positive memory, it instantly makes your mood happier and calmer.
Studies have further shown that short walks along the beach can boost your mood and affect your mental health. This is because the beach is considered a blue space, exposure to which has been linked to overall, improved mental health. Soulveda shares why taking trips to the beach is linked to your wellbeing.
Lowers stress levels
Travelling to a beach is an exhilarating experience, whether you are a child or an adult. Strolling along the sea with the gentle waves caressing your feet or going into the water for a swim or simply soaking in some sunshine, a beach can reduce one’s stress in many ways. No matter how strained your muscles are or how deeply you are frowning, a beach has that magical touch that transforms your mental state.
It is common to feel stressed after following a fixed routine for too long. Our mind needs stimulation in the form of different settings and experiences. Engaging in new sights relaxes the mind and brings a new energy. Going for a vacation to a beach definitely ticks the box of welcoming some much needed respite.
Nature’s charisma
A beach is a potpourri of nature’s finest elements – air, water, sun and sand. It is one of the best places to experience nature in its most magnificent form. When you are on a beach, you experience a unique oneness with nature, where all the elements meet to party in a playful manner.
It is already a proven fact that we feel our best and most relaxed when surrounded by nature and its precious offerings of flora and fauna. A beach offers unlimited dose of nature’s goodness in the form of cool breezes, swaying coconut trees, chirping birds, unparalleled sights and the joy only a water body and its surrounding ecosystem can bring.
Increases mindfulness
Water has this amazing capacity to indulge all your senses in a positive manner. Research has proved that being near a water body makes you more mindful. When you experience the waves touching your feet softly, it refreshes and rejuvenates your mind as well. It may seem like a lot of fun but being on the beach is actually a meditative experience where you experience a mix of relaxation, cheer and joy.
Many of us do not prefer going for a swim into the sea, but that doesn’t deter us from having a great time. Watching the waves crash, sitting on the sand and making sand castles or lying leisurely is relaxing enough.
One can enhance the experience doubly by watching a sunrise or sunset by the sea. Lying on the beach and looking at the sun radiate its myriad hues is a memory for keeps.
Soaking sunshine
A beach is a wonderful place to get plenty of sunshine. Just parking yourself on the sand for sometime not only relaxes you but gives you quintessential sun time. Our lifestyles today revolve around screens and sedentary work done indoors, so a visit to the beach also helps in getting the super important vitamin D, crucial to many physiological processes.
There is research that indicates that approximately 1 billion people have vitamin D deficiency and shockingly, around 50% of the world’s population has insufficient levels of vitamin D. A good way of incorporating this vitamin in your daily life is by going outdoors at regular intervals. However, if you are planning a getaway, heading to a sunny beach is a great idea to get that required dose of the sunshine vitamin even while holidaying.
Enjoying physical activities
Our increasingly sedentary lifestyles have become a threat to our physical and mental health, bringing ailments to our door. While experts recommend simple exercises like walking or running everyday to stay on top of our moods and selves, there is no reason to give up on our fitness routine when vacationing. A beach holiday is a perfect way to unwind by playing volleyball or doing yoga amidst the sun and sand.
An ideal picnic spot where you can spend relaxing moments with friends and family, time spent at beaches certainly adds to one’s mental wellbeing. Further, children love beaches as sand gives them a sensory experience. Playing in the sand is also great for child development – it helps in developing motor skills, eye-hand co-ordination and strengthening muscles. Anyone who has tried their hands at building a sand castle knows that it is no child’s play and requires great skill. What’s more, it is extremely satisfying for adults too.
Visiting a beach is enriching in many ways. The sun, sand and the tan you get is all worth it after a month or two of hustling at work. From writing your name on the sand to lapping up the freshness of the sea breeze to soaking in some vitamin sunshine, beaches are almighty’s picture perfect sceneries to fall in love with. The lure of vacationing on a beach is hard to escape and this summer, we hope you enjoy all the good things that come with a beach holiday!