Why being in, on or by the water makes us feel better
And why I’m building The Watery
First of all, there is science behind this.
But I honestly just think most humans just feel better when we’re outdoors, looking at, in, or listening to water.
I’ve always been fascinated by it. If I’m on a bridge, over a river, I’ll always have to stop. I’ll watch the movement of the green weed – when it’s crystal clear – look at the way it moves in the current. I’ll always, always try to spot a fish. Watch how the water moves around the rocks, where it’s deep, where it’s quiet and pooling. The light, the movement, the colours, the reflections and the possibility of something just beneath the surface. I’ll also wonder how cold or warm (who am I fooling, it’s never warm!) it might be.
It pulls at me a little bit.
There a real sense of nowness about it.
A calming and a fascination.
It cools my brain and my thoughts, even from a distance.
Because so often, our minds are somewhere else, replaying things from the past, or jumping ahead to what’s coming next. They say we sit in the past (hurt) or the future (fear), and it’s actually quite hard to just be here.
For me, water allows that to happen. Maybe because it’s being active, I go into a semi-meditative state and feel calmer? The sea and I are in partnership? I’m not sure.
I do know it engages all the senses, sight, sound, temperature, movement.
One of them, if not all of them, must anchor you back into the moment.
Blue wellbeing and my sea swimming
I see it in myself when I swim in the sea and I see it in the people I take in too. Before you get in, the hesitation, the “can I do this?”, is everything ok, have a spotted what I need to spot. Have I got with I need to have? Then the adjustment, then the shift into how I’m moving right now and what I’m doing, and sometimes that can be very automative, and other times it takes all of your cognitive brain power to make it all work in sync (or not – but that’s where the fun and the learning lies).
You’re focused on what’s around you. It’s very much an “into your own mind” feeling.
And it turns out… there’s a reason for that.
The science behind blue wellbeing
There’s a growing body of research around “Blue wellbeing”, “blue health” or “blue mind”, the idea that being in, on or near water supports our wellbeing.
Researchers like Wallace J. Nichols (who coined the term Blue Mind) describe it as the mildly meditative state we fall into when we’re near water — calm, present, connected.
Closer to home, the European Centre for Environment and Human Health (through the University of Exeter) has done extensive research showing that:
- People who live near or spend time by the coast report better health and wellbeing
- Coastal visits are linked to improved mood and reduced stress
- Even simply seeing water can help lower stress levels
One large UK study (White et al., 2013) found that people living within 5km of the coast reported significantly better general health than those living further inland.
And it’s not just visual. There’s also something happening in the body.
Cold water immersion research (including work by Mike Tipton) shows that over time it can:
- Help regulate the body’s stress response
- Increase alertness and energy
- Support resilience to physical and mental stress
And yes… that post-swim feeling?
That slightly euphoric, “I feel amazing and a bit invincible” feeling?
That’s real too. It’s your nervous system doing its thing.
Movement matters too (more than we think)
Alongside this, there’s another idea I really like: movement literacy.
This is about
- Feeling comfortable in your body
- Having the confidence to move
- Exploring different ways of being active
and not about being end driven focused, or being fit or doing exercise “properly”.
When you’re by the water, movement just happens.
- You walk a bit further along the coast
- You paddle without really thinking about it
- You swim, float, climb, explore
It doesn’t feel like traditional exercise, it just feels like being alive and being a human. Using our bodies. I can often feel that my body is just a way to move my brain about from one place to another. I purposely do things to change that feeling. If we can put movement into our lives in a way that we love and enriches every part of us, well that’s when the magic happens. I must more likely to stick with a outdoor hobby, especially if it’s social and I’m using new skills than exercise programme or a gym visit.
So why am I building The Watery?
Because I keep meeting brilliant people and join things up a little bit more.
People running:
- Sea swim sessions (like me, open water swim coaches)
- Paddleboarding experiences
- Saunas on the riverbank
- Yoga on the beach
- Quiet, beautiful, slightly magical things by the water
And they’re not always easy to find.
Unless you already know… you don’t know.
I also believe that if you love one water-based thing, you’ll probably love another. And I want to make that easier, to help people discover new activities, new places, new ways of being.
Because this isn’t just about “doing something” active,
It might be:
- A new social group
- A boost in confidence
- A different way of managing stress
- Or just… feeling a bit more like yourself again
And that gap, between what exists and what people can find, is what I want to close.
What I hope The Watery becomes
I want it to be a few things.
Yes, a directory, a place where you can see the wide variety of things happening in, on and by the water, starting in Devon and growing from there.
But also something more connected.
Something that:
- Helps you discover new places and experiences
- Makes the water feel more accessible (not intimidating)
- Supports the small, brilliant businesses doing this work
- Connects those businesses together
- Encourages more people to step in, try, explore
Whether that’s:
- A proper swim
- A paddle
- A sauna and a chat
- Or just standing at the edge of the sea for a moment
What to do next
You don’t have to be “outdoorsy”.
You don’t have to get it right.
But you do need to do some sort of action to make a change.
Come and explore
I’m slowly building The Watery, adding places, people and experiences across Devon (and then beyond).
If you’re curious, have a look and see what kind of activities you might like, book something! And if you’re not sure where to begin maybe simply head outdoors to sit and be near to water and think about how your wellbeing shifts. Look at what other people are doing and what you could do next?
If you run something, I’d love to include you – drop me an email.
You don’t have to be a swimmer. I know I keep talking about swimming, but that’s my thing!
Further reading
If you’re curious about the science behind blue wellbeing, here are a few places to explore:
- Blue Mind – Wallace J. Nichols
A brilliant introduction to how water affects our minds and wellbeing
https://www.bluemind.me - European Centre for Environment & Human Health (University of Exeter)
Leading research into “blue health” and the benefits of being near water
https://www.ecehh.org - Blue Health Research Programme
A European-wide project exploring how water environments support wellbeing
https://bluehealth2020.eu - Cold water research – Professor Mike Tipton (University of Portsmouth)
Research into how cold water immersion affects the body and stress response
https://www.port.ac.uk/research/research-centres-and-groups/extreme-environments-laboratory
