Bravo, well said. Our view of the CT river from our 1763 farmhouse is a daily if not an hourly treat and mood elevator and stress reducer, as are your Happiness Newsletters themselves. Thank you. AC Class of 1963.
Crane Beach is my happy place. It is 1 1/2 hours to get there and 2+ to return (traffic). We are retired so we try to get up there at least once during the week in the summer. Just writing about it makes me feel happy. The vastness, seeing the infinite horizon and the soft sand are great motivators for me.
I'm surprised I didn't see cruises show up in this piece. When I took my first ever cruise (and I was a huge skeptic), I was absolutely astounded at how peaceful and therapeutic it felt just to sit on the deck and stare out in the wide open sea. The water has its own music that formed a melodic comfort. I have never felt so good with doing "nothing" in my life.
I am very fortunate to live within a 10 minute walk to the Monterey Bay where on any given day I may see sea otters, seals, whales, dolphins, pelicans, cormorants and of course the beautiful water. I find it very restorative to look out and enjoy the constantly changing seas.
There is lots of evidence for the power of green space - forests and mountains and parks! Thanks for the reminder I should do a newsletter on other types of nature!!!
I shared this with my daughter and my wife immediately then took a walk where I can see the Hudson River, just a half mile away! (But our family's favorite blue landmarks are Coronado Island Beach on the west coast and the New England Sound here on the east coast. Thanks again for always writing what's worth reading!
This article is validating to my soul! I live in Ft. Myers, FL and make a regular habit of walking the beach while taking in the vast beauty of the Gulf of Mexico. It holds gentle space for me when I'm stressed and fills me with joy when I'm feeling playful. Recently, I transformed my backyard from primarily green space to a whole lot of blue space as I had a pool built. Seeing the pool from within the house, and of course, sitting next to it or being in it has truly improved the quality of my days. :)
Bravo, well said. Our view of the CT river from our 1763 farmhouse is a daily if not an hourly treat and mood elevator and stress reducer, as are your Happiness Newsletters themselves. Thank you. AC Class of 1963.
I hope you appreciate the view of the river every day - definitely a great way to reduce stress!
Crane Beach is my happy place. It is 1 1/2 hours to get there and 2+ to return (traffic). We are retired so we try to get up there at least once during the week in the summer. Just writing about it makes me feel happy. The vastness, seeing the infinite horizon and the soft sand are great motivators for me.
Your post makes me happy - and I hope you do get to visit every week this summer! And good luck with the traffic!!!
I'm surprised I didn't see cruises show up in this piece. When I took my first ever cruise (and I was a huge skeptic), I was absolutely astounded at how peaceful and therapeutic it felt just to sit on the deck and stare out in the wide open sea. The water has its own music that formed a melodic comfort. I have never felt so good with doing "nothing" in my life.
This is a great observation - and I hadn't read ANY research on this ... so I did a bit of searching and found this piece: https://jakeldn.com/cruising-makes-you-scientifically-happier/. So, yes, your intuition is right!
I am very fortunate to live within a 10 minute walk to the Monterey Bay where on any given day I may see sea otters, seals, whales, dolphins, pelicans, cormorants and of course the beautiful water. I find it very restorative to look out and enjoy the constantly changing seas.
Wow! That is amazing - and I love your example of the constantly changing seas, which makes the view different every day!
I prefer mountains, such as the Colorado Rockies, but their effect isn't mentioned.
There is lots of evidence for the power of green space - forests and mountains and parks! Thanks for the reminder I should do a newsletter on other types of nature!!!
I shared this with my daughter and my wife immediately then took a walk where I can see the Hudson River, just a half mile away! (But our family's favorite blue landmarks are Coronado Island Beach on the west coast and the New England Sound here on the east coast. Thanks again for always writing what's worth reading!
Three great examples of blue space - all lovely and restorative! And so glad you immediately put this advice into action!
I am so lucky now-- and at many times in my life - to live on a coast. Jacksonville, Newport, now Vancouver.
That is indeed lucky - and so many different coasts (but all lovely)!
This article is validating to my soul! I live in Ft. Myers, FL and make a regular habit of walking the beach while taking in the vast beauty of the Gulf of Mexico. It holds gentle space for me when I'm stressed and fills me with joy when I'm feeling playful. Recently, I transformed my backyard from primarily green space to a whole lot of blue space as I had a pool built. Seeing the pool from within the house, and of course, sitting next to it or being in it has truly improved the quality of my days. :)
Catherine Sanderson is greatly appreciated
Thanks for the kind words! I love sharing practical research from the fascinating field of psychology!