Blue health

I recently visited The Relais Cooden Beach hotel, tucked away on a private stretch of beach on the East Sussex coast. The exclusive, yet accessible hotel, is reachable by train from London within one hour and 35 minutes.

The 45-bedroom property has been absorbed into The Relais Retreats Group, and as such, has had a magnificent makeover. Renowned hotelier Grace Leo, the mastermind behind Cotton House in Mustique, is one half of The Relais Retreats Group, an organisation which has set its sights on transforming waterside properties into enticing hotels and inspiring meeting spaces.

One meeting space, the Elva Conference room, faces out onto the lawn, with the sea just the other side of the grassy bank. The room is flooded with natural daylight – a rare premium in a world of basement meeting spaces. With the doors open, delegates can enjoy the quiet sound of lapping waves (on a calm day) and the sound of seabirds, synonymous with the seaside.

This natural-light-soaked space, with its proximity to the sea, got me thinking – does meeting in or near natural spaces, such as the beach, make a difference to the delegate experience?

A study of 20,000 people seems to think so.

A 2013 study of 20,000 smartphone users recording their wellbeing at various intervals, found marine and coastal spots were the 'happiest locations'. And there has been plenty of research into the benefits of ‘Blue Health’ – being by the water.

Being by the sea can have a ‘psychologically restorative effect’, Dr Mathew White, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter, explained to The Guardian.

Hearing the sounds of nature, including the lapping or crashing of waves, can instantly reduce stress and can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing heart rate, lowering blood pressure and relaxing the body.

Seeing the sea, in all its blue glory, can also induce an inner calmness and spark creativity. The colour blue has long been the muse of great artists from Hokusai’s Great Wave to Georgia O’Keeffe’s Abstraction Blue.

Sea air also has a multitude of physical health benefits. Sea air is filled with negative ions - molecules that have gained or lost an electrical charge. They are believed to help alleviate depression and ‘increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy,’ explains Pierce J. Howard, PhD in his 1994 The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research.

 So, it’s official, being by the sea is linked with better mental health and overall happiness.

Does anyone fancy a dip?