Blue Mind by Wallace J Nichols (Little, Brown, £10.99)
ILLUSTRATION: LESLEY BUCKINGHAM
There is growing research on the benefits of green environments on wellbeing – so-called ‘vitamin G’ – but studies on the impact of water, or ‘vitamin W’, are also starting to emerge. It’s these incredible effects that Wallace Nichols explores in Blue Mind, bringing together neuroscience and psychology to examine the powerful effects that being in nature, especially near water, can have on our health and happiness.
A large study looking at how happy people felt in different physical environments found that while the impact of natural environments in general was positive, people were happiest when they were near water. In fact, the impact of water was likened to the difference between visiting an art gallery and doing housework! Another study found that while being in greenery boosted mood, proximity to open water produced greater improvements in mental wellbeing.