I am sitting in front of the Château de Chenonceau, a French château spanning the River Cher. I’ve noticed that the closer I am to rivers, lakes, or oceans, the happier I am. This made me wonder about the how much self-reported health correlates with real health– why would being near water automatically make me happier? According to Wheeler et al. (2012), the closer you live to the English coast, the healthier you are which may, in turn, affect your overall mental health. There is science behind everything after all!
Reference:
Wheeler, B. W., White, M., Stahl-Timmins, W., & Depledge, M. H. (2012). Does living by the coast improve health and wellbeing? Health & Place, 18(5), 1198-1201. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.06.015