We have all had the dream of that glorious house on the beach or by a beautifully flowing river. There may be a reason that those who live far away from any source of natural flowing water, crave the feeling that walking by the ocean can bring. Researchers are looking for ways to improve the health of those who live in city and urban neighborhoods, as the stress level in these areas can be extremely high. They begin with what is called “green space” and “blue space”.
A study which used a cross-section of residents, and exposed them to more green space, such as grass and trees, and forests, also exposed the same people to what they are calling blue space, the rivers, oceans, streams of water, etc. Exposure to both green and blue space lowered the psychological stress of the participants, however, the blue space seemed to lower stress even further, than the green spaces.
Research shows that areas with more natural blue and green space, also tend to have a higher quality of neighborhood relations and less people in one neighborhood, which all adds to the lowering of psychological stress. There is less worry about crime and violence, as well, in these particular areas.
The studies were done in Wellington, New Zealand, however, the study will spread throughout other areas of the world to continue to prove the point that it appears that the physical and mental health of the areas’s participants enjoyed lower stress levels living in areas where nature thrives. Most importantly, it was the blue spaces that created the best results when it came to lowering high blood pressure and other physical diseases caused by stress. The study will continue on the effects of blue space but it has an overall opinion that those who live near nature benefit from that space in a healthy way, while those in the city and crowded areas lack the same amount of healthy peace.
Source: Science Direct