There's an expression for finding peace by the water: "blue mind."

• Why it matters: Being on, in or near water has a stress-relieving and creativity-boosting impact on the brain, Axios' Carly Mallenbaum writes.

🧠 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.

📩 Case in point: Finish Line readers who sent us photos of lakes, ponds, rivers and even a pool said their favorite body of water "soothes the soul," "brings peace," "is my happy place," and "seems to align my internal rhythm to the universe."

• There are endless examples of art that's been inspired by water, from poetry and novels to music and paintings.

Now a growing body of research helps quantify the restorative power of the sea.

👀 Less than two minutes of looking at water outdoors "is enough to activate the parasympathetic nervous system," and lower your blood pressure and heart rate, organizational psychologist Adam Grant writes, based on recent research.

• One explanation: "Since being attuned to visual cues for water helped our ancestors avoid dehydration, the mere sight of water can be a relief."

🌊 Living near water improves self-reported well-being, according to studies that adjust for age and socioeconomic factors.

• By some measures, being near blue spaces is even more beneficial than proximity to green spaces.

🪟 Even views of water through windows and artwork apparently help patients recover faster.

• In a survey of people recuperating from heart surgery, those who viewed an open-water scene had lower anxiety levels — and needed less pain medication — than those who looked at an abstract design, a blank white panel or even a forest scene.
• In another study suggesting that natural environments reduce stress, researchers found that viewing an aquarium before oral surgery was more effective than hypnosis at inducing relaxation.

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Thank you to the 100+ Axios readers who emailed their calming photos of beaches, bays and beyond, Carly writes.

• We plan to continue sharing your water photos in Finish Line. But we'll begin relaxing your brain with just a few.

💭 Carly's thought bubble: I've long considered my mind blue. Two of my favorite de-stressing activities are paddleboarding in the ocean and practicing yoga on a dock overlooking the water.

• But now that I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy, I have a new favorite way to experience the calm of water: floating.
• I'm not the only one who could benefit from float therapy.