Surfing is fantastic! Surfing is an outstanding sport that can do wonders for the body and the mind if you take the time to find a place that you love and go for it. People who surf know what peace they get after a good surfing session. It’s nothing less than therapy. It is a great way to get some exercise and make your body fit.
Not only that, getting out and going in the water to surf will give you a much-needed break to your soul whether you are an aquaphile or not. It has fantastic health benefits for the mind as well. Now you must be wondering how surfing can affect our mental health! So let us tell you what surfing does to your mind in this article.
Surfing and the Body
Surfing is fantastic for the body. It helps to engage dozens of muscles, all at the same time. It works on balance and focus while you get some vitamin D by being out in the sun. It burns your calories, relaxes you out, and not to mention the super fun time that you are never going to forget. You do not have to go out and tackle a 20 ft wave on the first surf; you can stay on the smaller waves and still get tons of great exercise and get fit.
Surfing and the Mind
Peace of mind is one of the most underrated aspects of one’s life. No one talks much about it when it is the mind that controls us. But is there anything that we really do for it to work it in our favor?
Staying connected to nature is always helpful and working out in those environments definitely calms your mind and benefits your mental health. When we do surfing or anything similarly thrilling, the brain responds by releasing endorphins and dopamine into the blood system.
Dopamine and other endorphins help to elevate mood and give you a feeling of euphoria and bliss. It helps you to feel better and happier, and also it can help you have fun. When someone is dealing with stress, depression, or just not feeling good about themselves, endorphins can help alleviate these feelings.
Another mental benefit to a sport like surfing is the focus. Surfing does require an immense amount of focus to be able to stay upright and stay engaged. And to stay engaged and keep surfing well, your mind remains focused. It takes off some of the stress to let you enjoy and focus on things productively.
Even if you are not under any kinds of mental anxiety, surfing is still a great option to have some time away from the regular things that may stress you out later. Surfing helps to redirect your thoughts so that you come out of that phase being a better person. It serves as a wonderful and healthy distraction from those things that are bothering you. It also forces you to step away from things that might be bothering you and focus instead on what you are doing and having fun.
Can Surfing Treat Mental Illness?
Though there is no substitute for professional care for your mental health, surfing and other outdoor sports are known to encourage natural mental healing. This type of sport is very involved, it is very hands-on, and it does not allow you the chance to do much else but focus on what you are doing. Getting out into the sun is a must and can help improve your overall demeanor and the way you feel so easily.
Surfing can work as a mood stabilizer; it can work as a balancing force in your body, and it can help boost your mood. It can also help with weight loss and self-esteem, both issues that many people have and have a hard time dealing with. Surfing is a delightful means of dealing with things that you may not be able to express on your own or that you might be having trouble dealing with on a deeper, emotional level.
Surfing also encourages the Zen effect or a feeling of calm that makes it easier to deal with things that are bothering you or things that you are dealing with in your life. Surfing is a great place to start if you are looking to get your mind off of things that might be bothering you and if you are working toward getting out more and enjoying the outdoors as a means of dealing with issues that you might have.
Surfing is not a substitute for help if you are dealing with severe mental illness, but it may be a good distraction and a good way to get out in the sun and start to feel good again. Taking the time to find something you love like surfing can help to give your life a new direction and can help you to start to heal naturally without having to worry or feel terrible anymore.
When you are out in the waves, you don’t really think about anything and anyone else. The rest of the world just vanishes and you are just with yourself. Enjoy this time surfing and let your body, mind, and soul relax for good!
