The Beach can Save you

Just the sight of the blue waters, the feel of the sea breeze, and the warmth of the sand under your feet are enough to let your everyday cares fly away.

The expanse of the ocean has a way of helping put everything into perspective. The soothing roar of the crashing waves sings a gentle song for the soul. Each grain of sand reminds us that though we may get tossed about, we still have a purpose. And every seashell tells of nature’s infinite and relentless beauty.

Saltwater heals everything…well, almost everything. Allow the sea to wash away the stress and worry of everyday life. Let the salt water cleanse you, body and soul. 

Here are some of the reasons why hitting the beach is not only fun but is also beneficial to your health and well-being:

1. Going to the beach helps you relax and beat stress

Many people go to the beach not just to have fun but to relieve themselves of everyday stress. Hitting the beach helps you unplug, and that’s good not just for your body, but also for your mind and soul. Even if you don’t actually swim in the salty waters, a simple short walk is helpful in relaxing as well as reducing stress. The gentle sea breeze and the calming effects of the crashing waves are enough to soothe your frayed nerves and wipe out those negative vibes.

2. Going to the beach is good for your skin

The beach can be a natural spa. The feel of the warm sand on your skin doesn’t only make you feel good, but it also does actual good to you. The sand acts as a natural skin exfoliator and allows your skin pores to breathe, so goodbye acne and blackheads!

While the sun’s UV rays are often thought to be dangerous for the skin, they are considered dangerous when the skin’s exposed too much to it. Otherwise, the sun’s UV rays also help in drying out the skin, and this is great for psoriasis sufferers. The seawater’s salt and potassium content are also good in healing certain skin diseases such as rashes or dermatitis. The seawater also helps in retaining your skin’s elasticity and moisture due to its magnesium content.

3. The beach helps in boosting the immune system

So, I just heard this, “I need #VitaminSea” on social media.

My God. Everything is either an acronym (GOAT) or a play on words. But there are valid reasons why we need a dose of “vitamin sea,” and it’s not just for the sake of a hashtag. (By the way, I’m old enough to remember when a # was a board game we played when we were, well, bored. Oh, and FYI, later on, it was known as the pound sign and was going to be big in technology circles).

But I digress. You might be aware of doctors prescribing you with a trip to the beach. Number one, there’s the sun — sunlight is a good source of vitamin D to keep your bones healthy and improve your body’s ability to resist infection and reduce inflammations. Even spending just 10 minutes under the sun is enough to get a lot of vitamin D — in fact, there’s more vitamin D that we get from soaking up the sun than from consuming milk and other foods.

Seawater is rich in minerals and other compounds are also great in detoxifying our body and preventing autoimmune diseases. Have a runny nose? Being in the ocean helps in decongesting your stuffy nose and clearing your respiratory tract.  Seawater is also a natural source of iodine and other antibacterial properties which help in preventing open cuts (although it can certainly sting) as well as diseases in the thyroid glands.

4. The beach is good for doing exercises

While the beach is good for rest and relaxation, it is also a good place to burn your fats and get your muscles toned. You may want to do some running, swimming or other beach sports like surfing, volleyball or everybody’s new favorite, Pickle Ball. The beach is so vast that it’ll get you moving even if you don’t try to — even walking on the sandy shores benefits you.

Swimming is a terrific way to spend a day on the beach as it is a low-impact exercise that’s not too severe on the muscles and joints and still burns a lot of calories.

Sitting and staring. It works. Just find your COVID-19 free area, drop your towel, by yourself, and voila! Just watch as the sun burns those calories. Okay. So the calories dont exactly burn away, but boy, I bet youll feel better when you get home.

5. Going to the beach combats depression.

So how am I doing so far?

Now it gets complicated. I could have stopped at number four. No, I should have stopped at number four. After all, I didn’t say here are the top five reasons to go to the beach. In fact, I just looked again. It says, “Some of the reasons.” Some.

Depression. Lots of people have it. From everything I’ve read and all the MD websites and tests I’ve taken, I’m borderline. Thank goodness for the Internet.

Borderline? Borderline what?

A mental disorder characterized by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships. The cause of borderline personality disorder isn’t well understood. Diagnosis is made based on symptoms. Symptoms include emotional instability, feelings of worthlessness, insecurity, impulsivity, and impaired social relationships.

I totally get the worthlessness. Marriage to somebody with Narcissistic Personality Disorder will do that.

The other stuff? Insecurity. Impaired social relationships? Not so much.

But, the beach works. In good weather and not so good weather.

But, back to depression. I was there for this one. And it really should be Number One on my list, but that would be so sad. So let’s attack it now.

It used to take me 45 minutes to get out of bed. I forced myself to shower and made sure to write each day. I wrote a 500-page manuscript.

I’d spend each day counting the hours until “Blue Bloods” came on. I’d watched so many that I knew I had a problem when I could say the lines before the characters. (You can fill in your own TV show. Some people waited for Friends. Others for Seinfeld or Family Guy. Family Guy? Comfort is comfort, I guess).But, it was safe. It was a character-driven show about a family and I spent a lifetime with my ex-wife pulling me away from my family.

Perhaps to a “normal” person, the day she said, “I wish your mother died instead of your father,” was a red flag, but not to me.

Years later I understood how she believed she could manipulate my father. My mother was having none of it.

How could I tell my mother of my realization while sitting Shivah.

In retrospect, I should have told her. But, that’s for another time.

Things became worse, and then after the divorce she convinced my two teenage sons that I was an evil monster.

I did not completely disconnect. After a while, and it was a while, I just stopped talking about it. It dawned on me that everyone has problems. Why are mine worse?

Depression? I thought it was just fatigue. It wasn’t.

I worked hard at living each day. There is more. So much more. I forced myself to focus on anything positive in my world.

I looked for the pain. I did not look for the healing. I missed that part.

I did it at the beach. Feel free to reach out to me. I will go into detail, but it is no easy process.

Spending your time at the beach is a boon not just for your physical health, but also for your mental health. Basking in the sun can make us more cheerful — and there’s a valid reason behind that. A recent study reveals that exposure to sunshine helps in increasing levels of serotonin, which can trigger feelings of happiness.

I know. I know. What? Well, first let’s talk about serotonin.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter. Its chemical name is 5-Hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT. It is derived from tryptophan. It is found in all vertebrates, mainly in the gastrointestinal tract, blood platelets, and central nervous system. … It is believed to regulate mood, intestinal activity and appetite, memory, and sleep.

In other words, it helps us feel better.

Apart from the sunshine, the salty air can also contribute to fighting off depression. The sea breeze’s negative ions help in lifting the emotional state of people suffering from depression or any other mood disorders. That’s why doctors are prescribing a trip to the beach for those who are suffering from depression or other related mental problems.

As I said, depression is real. Depression exists. Don’t let anybody minimize it.

Forgive me for sounding like a beer commercial, but, “Go find your beach.”