Our real estate agentshave always loved living by the water, but is it possible that it's actually good for our health? We asked ourselves that question, and our research yielded some fascinating results.

As it turns out, the therapeutic benefits of living near water are beyond dispute.

1. Rest and Relaxation
   Living near water makes people happy. It allows us to rest and relax, and it does this so effortlessly that at first, we scarcely notice. Scientists refer to the peaceful, meditative state the brain enters when exposed to water as the "Blue Mind Effect. Looking at and enjoying being around water floods the brain with dopamine, a feel-good hormone that boosts happiness and relaxation naturally. The mental benefits alone are significant: living near water fights off depression, reduces anxiety, and helps overcome the symptoms of PTSD.With these come physical health benefits like greater alertness, improved immune function, and even healthier skin.
2. A Breath of Fresh Air
   We all know that waking up next to the ocean feels like a breath of fresh air, but could it be that the air near a body of water actually is fresher? As it turns out, it really is, and the health benefits of it are still being explored.A body of water—especially seawater—charges the air around it with morenegative ions. This helps your body absorb more oxygen with every breath you take, healthy for the body and the mind alike. It canimprove alertness, balanceserotonin levels, and potentially combatfree radicals.
3. Better Sleep
   Few things have a more consistently negative impact on our health than not getting enough sleep and not getting quality sleep. Improved sleep has been linked to a wealth of benefitsfrom reduced stress and better memory to weight loss and improved mood. Getting more and better sleep may even help us fight illness and lower blood pressure.Unfortunately, it can be hard to develop better sleep habits, especially when we live such busy lives. Living near the water has been consistently shown to help us sleep better. This makes perfect sense. Millions of people use white noise to sleep, which is essentially an artificial version of the sound of water. Living near the water helps clear the mind of distractions and ease into deep sleep more readily.
4. Boost Your Immune System
   It's not exactly the water itself that gives us an immune boost, but the effects of living close to it can. Relaxation alone may improve immune function, but there's more to it than that. Those of us who live near the water tend to spend more time outdoors, which has various immune benefits. The most obvious of those is sunshine. Spending time in the sun gives us a good dose of Vitamin D, which helps the body absorbcalciumand phosphate, essential nutrients to keepbones, teeth, and muscles healthy. Another significant immune boost comes fromphytoncides, chemicals given off by plants and trees that live near water. Breathing in thesephytoncideshelps boost our white blood cell count, making the body better able to fight disease and infection.

Contact usto talkwith our team about life inNew England. We're here to help you find the perfect home for you and your family!