Many of us love vacationing to tropical locations near the water, and a new study has revealed exactly why this is!

Scientific research now shows that living near water can help calm us and relieve stress, which is why beachfront locations are the perfect places for a stress-free vacation. The study that came to this conclusion looked at the effects of green (trees and vegetation) and blue (water) spaces on one’s well-being.

“Higher levels of blue space visibility were associated with lower psychological distress,” the study found.

This means that the closer you are to water, the less stressed you will be!

The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and Michigan State University in the United States. Their study involved looking at various residential areas in the city of Wellington, New Zealand.

The city of Wellington is surrounded by water but also has forests and grassy parks as well. Researchers looked at data related to the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, which measures anxiety and mood disorders.

Even when taking into account factors that could lead to improved well-being, such as wealth, age and gender, the researchers concluded that New Zealanders with a view of the water had improved mental health. In contrast, they found that living in view of green areas did not have any effect on people’s well-being.

Researchers have an interesting theory as to why this is.

“It could be because the blue space was all natural, while the green space included human-made areas, such as sports fields and playgrounds, as well as natural areas such as native forests,” said Amber Pearson, the study’s coauthor. “Perhaps if we only looked at native forests we might find something different.”

Pearson added that this research is important because mental health disorders are becoming increasingly common across the world. This research may encourage city planners to build affordable homes near water so their residents have views of the ocean, and therefore better mental health.

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