“All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea — whether it is to sail or to watch it — we are going back from whence we came.”
John F. Kennedy
Table of Contents
What is Blue Mind?
Why are humans so attracted to lakes, rivers, oceans and other types of water? Blue Mind is wellness science, which has proven that being close to, on, in or even under the water can help us to be happier, healthier, better connected and performing humans at home and at work.
The landmark bestseller Blue Mind, by Wallace J. Nichols helps us understand the remarkable effects of water in all of its shapes and forms on our health and well-being. Since we are primarily made of water and the planet we call home is more than 70% covered in water this makes sense. Our physiology is hardwired to respond positively to water and water in its many forms can help us enhance mindfulness. Water is one of our oldest forms of medicine for physical, emotional and mental health. At Fathom Yacht Charters we know that one of the best ways to Blue Mind wellness is to get out on the water on a boat.
Red, Grey and Blue Mind
We typically are living in one of three states of mind. Red Mind, Gray Mind or Blue Mind. When we are under stress for long periods of time without release our brains go through a predictable cycle. Red Mind is experienced after an extended amount of exposure to stress, anxiety and fear with hormones like cortisol running high. Finally, when we are at exhaustion we move into a state of Gray Mind where burnout, depression and physical illness are more likely. Blue Mind is the antidote to both Red Mind and Gray Mind. Like a shot of penicillin it can prevent and even counter the downward spiraling cycle in the first place. Our lives are hyper-connected and we have begun to understand the ramifications on our personal and professional lives. Higher levels of anxiety and depression are occurring. And many people self‐medicate. What’s the cost? We multi-task and then have a difficult time remembering what we were working on minutes before.
We get addicted to the screen and have it with us all the time only to not be present for someone or something that may really benefit from our attention. And in our tech saturated lives we don’t give our minds much chance to relax. Personal and team engagement suffers and so does our productivity. Blue Mind Wellness is not experienced or achieved on Facebook, Instagram or any other social media platform – never. We need to log out and put down our devices. Setting an intention of doing this helps to create new awareness and an opening to Blue Mind. A regular dose of blue is good for you!
Blue Mind Experience on Lake Travis
We can’t always charter a yacht to get our Blue Mind on. But we can go to the water in some way. For me personally, it takes 30 minutes sitting by Lake Travis or Lake Austin, less than a couple miles away to feel a real shift. How long does it take for you? Get your baseline. Then you know how know how long it might take for you to feel the shift into calm again when your stress level is peaking.
