Boating might be seen by some as just a recreational activity, but there is a lot more to it than that. The reality is that boating can positively impact your mental health, whether you’re out at sea or fishing in a lake. It doesn’t matter where you choose to boat. When you are out on the open water, you can feel relaxed and happy. Read on to find out how boating can help your mental health.
Connection With Nature
One of the biggest benefits of boating is that you’ll be able to get a wonderful connection with nature that isn’t possible in many other situations. When you are out on the water, you can appreciate the beauty of the natural world from a unique position, and you can immerse yourself in everything around you.
This is a good thing because it means you won’t be feeling stressed about your everyday life – you’ll be in the moment, enjoying the water, from the sights to the sounds. Even the rocking motion of the boat can be relaxing. When you think about it this way, is it any wonder that some people choose to spend their entire lives on the water and decide to look into residential moorings so that they can live permanently on a boat?
Escape From Technology
In the modern digital world, people are constantly bombarded with technology because they’re so connected to and with technology. There are alerts and notifications all the time, not to mention ‘FOMO’ (the fear of missing out), which means people constantly have to check emails, text messages, and, of course, social media.
When you go boating, you have a chance to escape from all of this constant stimulation and instead focus on exactly what you’re doing. This will certainly help to reduce stress, and it will improve your overall sense of wellbeing. It might even show you how little you really need all that technology so that you can use it less when you get back to dry land.
Social Interaction
You don’t have to be around anyone else when you’re boating, which can be one reason people like it and why it is good for their mental health – sometimes, being alone is the best thing for people.
However, too much isolation is a bad thing, and it can potentially cause depression, anxiety, and stress and maybe lead to cognitive decline. So it’s good to see and interact with other people, even if you don’t do it all the time. Boating can allow for this. You might go boating with friends and family, who you wouldn’t otherwise be able to spend much time with because you’re all so busy. Or perhaps you get to see people with similar interests to you when you are sailing or getting your boat ready for the water. These interactions, no matter how small, are great for your mental health.
Physical Exercise
Although boating is a relaxing experience, there is also some physical exercise involved. This might be different depending on what kind of boat you’re using, but there will be something you need to do.
Physical exercise is another positive thing for your mental health. It releases serotonin into the bloodstream, and this hormone is a natural mood enhancer. You’ll feel great and be able to enjoy your time on board much more.
