Living near the sea improves mental health

Did you know that living near the sea improves people's mental health? That's what a UK study made with more than 26 thousand people proved. Therefore, for those who suffer from mental problems, moving to the coast can be a great way to deal with these issues and achieve a more comfortable situation with less pain or problems that can reduce their quality of life.

This is important because Brazil is one of the countries with the highest number of people with mental disorders. About 86% of all Brazilians have some kind of problem of this nature, and yet we are the society with the highest number of anxious people in the entire world. Ironically, we have one of the longest coastlines on the planet, with beautiful beaches and a wonderful, calm sea.

So, if you want to get rid of these evils, maybe the solution lies in luxury real estate in Florianopolis or in any other coastal city. Want to know why? Then continue reading below!

What does the study in question say?

The study that showed that living near the sea improves people's mental health had 26 participants and was organized by the University of Exeter - one of the oldest in the UK. To set up the research, it was necessary to interview all these people, in addition to collecting data on their lives and physical and mental health, so that the effects of life by the sea could be compared.

According to the study's findings, people who live less than 1 kilometer from the sea have better mental health than people who live 50 kilometers from the coast, for example. A curious detail is that the effect is even more positive on low-income people. The poorest people feel the benefits of living on the coast much more than those with greater purchasing power. There are, of course, several elements that can explain this. For example, life in large cities (which are not on the coast) is often more stressful for the less fortunate. For those considered wealthy, it is quieter both in large urban centers and on the coast. For this reason, the positive effect of living on the coast may be less noticeable for this social class.

Why does living near the sea improve people's mental health?

It is difficult to adequately define what is the factor that makes the presence of the sea improve people's lives. What can be speculated is that it is a set of elements that generally results in more benefits.

First, it is a fact that coastal cities are less intense than inland cities. This is because the large capitals are not coastal. Even if they are, they are not usually close to the beach, with a few notable exceptions. Therefore, life there is more hectic.

Second, coastal cities have fewer people than inland cities or large capitals. In practice, this makes the population density higher, translating into more queues (in every way) and other problems that worsen our mental health.

In addition, life on the coast means being closer to nature. In addition to the sea, we can see trails, the forest, sand, dunes… in short, several types of natural elements that are not found in big cities. This scenario makes the air purer and the body reacts in a satisfactory way. All this greatly reduces the effects of anxiety or stress on our body.

To complete, it is worth mentioning that life on the coast tends to be physically healthier. This ends up translating into mental health too, after all, they are interconnected.

Living on the coast means going to the beach more often. Among the healthy activities, you can swim, play soccer, run or do other types of exercise. In addition, it is better to eat on the beach, as a diet based on fish is healthier than a diet with pork or beef. Especially when we remember that some fish like tuna or salmon are very rich in Omega-3 - a type of fat that is very good for the brain.

In addition, life on the coast tends to be more socially integrated. While people in large urban centers close themselves in small apartments, without much contact with their neighbors, life on the coast is largely shared, as people go out more and talk more. Even because the rate of violence is lower and, of course, this also reduces anxiety.

Now that you are aware that living near the sea improves people's mental health, it's time to make the decision whether or not it's worth moving to a seaside town. If you don't have to worry about a job, you can move without any problems. However, if this is one of your needs, then you should take advantage of it and choose a city on the coast with a thriving economy, such as Florianópolis, Balneário Camboriú or Vitória.