Water, Water — Everywhere at Southshore!
August 16, 2016
Water is soothing.
The look of water appeals to our spirits and the sound of it calms our nerves. Is there any wonder that we love our access to more than 800 acres of cool, blue H20?
Neuroscientists offer a variety of explanations about how and why we love being in and around water, and research efforts are intensifying.
The sound of it calms us because our brains process noises differently. Things like buzzing alarms and ringing phones trigger the brain’s “threat-activated vigilance system.” We are aroused by sounds that our brains perceive as potentially threatening.
But the sound of water is non-threatening and tranquilizing, and can even calm us into falling asleep, which is why sleep-aid devices, from bedside machines to mobile apps offer the sounds of babbling brooks, light rain and ocean waves.
In brain scans, researchers have found that people are drawn to the color blue and given a preference, choose to gaze at images of coastal environments.
Hospitals and healthcare facilities now incorporate water features into their designs to promote wellbeing upon discovering that fountains, fish tanks and waterfalls are relaxing and nurturing for patients.
And therapy programs, like those embraced by amputees and combat veterans who suffer from PTSD, are proving that water has positive effects on the human psyche. Based on experiential evidence rather than clinical studies, surfing, kayaking and swimming instructors have seen first-hand how peaceful playtime in water can change outlooks and improve lives.
Children and the Benefits of Water
For children, playing in water can help improve balance. It’s like playing in a new playground, where even every-day movements like clapping and jumping are new sensory experiences. And since water adds resistance, moving through it can build strength.
Further, water allows children to interact and communicate with each other in a shared space, which enables kids to develop socially and practice sharing.
For tweens and teens, it’s always a good idea to get them off the couch and into the outdoors to work some muscles other than their eyes!
Just this month, addiction expert Dr. Nicholas Kardaras released a new book, called Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking Our Kids. In it, he reveals how compulsively using technology can neurologically damage the developing brain of a child the same way that drug addiction can.
The jury is in: kids need more blue time, and less digital time!
Welcome to Life at the Lake
Southshore’s nearness to water was no accident. We planted this community next to the 800-acre Aurora Reservoir and added features so residents could experience naturally soothing environments. If you don’t live here yet, check out some of the fantastic new residences being built by Village Homes and Richmond American Homes right now, or join the interest list for Century Communities!
It’s easy to access the lake year-round in our community, and since it’s practically guaranteed to reduce stress and improve your mood, we have three words of advice: get into it!