Sharing an article by Stacey Leasca, Real Simple
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and imagine sitting beside a body of water. Perhaps it's a serene lake, a lake so big you can barely make out the other side. Or maybe it's a sugar-sand beach with crystalline waters that feel like a warm bath to the touch. Sit. Hear the water lap against the shore. Feel the breeze. Take it all in. Odds are you're feeling calmer already. That's because, according to science, being around water helps our mental health in myriad ways, and may be the key to lasting happiness.
"Humans love being around water because something about it is inherently calming," says Sanam Hafeez, a New York City–based neuropsychologist and faculty member at Columbia University. "Perhaps for some, water takes them back to their youth; to swimming in a pool, lake, or ocean. Bodies of water have a dream-like quality to them, much like clouds, and allow us to see different shapes and imagine limitless possibilities. Just staring at water allows our minds to be still and peaceful."