Between the lines: The blue mind concept originated with the late marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols, who's remembered for his work in science and conservation.
In his book "Blue Mind," he described the phenomenon as a "mildly meditative state" that's inspired by water.
Less than two minutes of looking at water is enough to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering blood pressure and heart rates, organizational psychologist Adam Grant writes, based on recent research.
🌊 Living near water improves self-reported well-being and being near blue spaces is more beneficial than green spaces.
🪟 Even views of water through windows and artwork apparently help patients recover faster.
In a survey of people recuperating from surgery, those who viewed an open-water scene had lower anxiety and needed less pain medication than those who looked at a design, a white panel or even a forest scene.
Another studysuggests natural environments reduce stress: Researchers found that looking at an aquarium before oral surgery was more effective than hypnosis at inducing relaxation.
