Spending time near water is not just a way to cool off — it’s also a way to help you feel calmer.
One study found that healthy adult office workers who spent just 20 minutes per day walking in “blue spaces,” or outdoor areas that feature prominent bodies of water, experienced “significantly improved well-being and mood responses” immediately after when compared to walking in urban spaces or resting in the controlled site.
“If you are in a body of water, your internal state just becomes calm,” Dr. Natalie Azar, NBC News medical contributor, told the “Today” show. “It’s something that I think we’ve all experienced, but never we’ve never really been intentional about.”
Another study found that, “An immersive therapeutic experience has indicated that waterscapes can not only give people benefits in the material aspect, but also reach the height of cognitive and emotional release.”
If you can’t get near water, just being outside in nature can help too.
Here are some photos of people enjoying blue spaces and spending time near or in the water.
A swimmer cools off from the high dive at the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center in Cottonwood Heights on Friday, July 5, 2024. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Lifeguards at the Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center watch swimmers at the pool in Kearns on Friday, June 10, 2022. | Mengshin Lin, Deseret News
A boy slides down a slide at Seven Peaks Waterpark in Salt Lake City on Sunday, June 18, 2017. Pools and waterparks may be the place to be this week as temperatures are expected to approach 100 degrees along the Wasatch Front. | Alex Goodlett
People enjoying the sun and water at the Seven Peaks Waterpark, Provo, which is included in The Pass of All Passes. The Pass also includes a variety of athletic events from Brigham Young University to the Utah Grizzlies and costs $24.99 for a new pass, or $99.99 for a pass to share with a friend or guest. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Over 500 guests took advantage of the nice weather at Cowabunga Bay Water Park on Monday at the 10 day old park. The park had its grand opening on June 12. Draper, Utah, Monday, June 22, 2009. Brendan Sullivan, Deseret News | Brendan Sullivan
People recreate on Pineview Reservoir in Weber County on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
The Strawberry Bay Marina at Strawberry Reservoir is pictured on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
Sydney Veirig, Sage Leatherberry and Scarlett Openshaw canoe in front of the dam on Tibble Fork Reservoir in American Fork Canyon on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
The Pectol family, from Centerville and Woods Cross, hang out in the shade at Echo State Park in Coalville on Monday, July 17, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
Pineview Reservoir is pictured in Weber County on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
People recreate on Pineview Reservoir in Weber County on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Aubrey Beaumont and Kyler Jones paddle on the Quail Creek Reservoir in St. George on Wednesday, April 7, 2021. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
The Ingersolls walk in the water at Great Salt Lake State Park in Magna on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
Deer Creek Reservoir is pictured at Deer Creek State Park in Wallsburg on Friday, May 10, 2024. | Marielle Scott, Deseret News
Jack Shirley flips water from his head as he and several of his cousins enjoy to time in the cool water of Parley’s Creek, near Sugar House Park in the Salt Lake Valley on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Cousins Jack Shirley, Anders Hintze, Tobler Hintze, Ollie Stout, and Elden Stout, (not in order) play in the cool water of Parley’s Creek near Sugar House Park in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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