Lately, there has been a new government plan to restore and increase accessibility to nature. Specifically, the plan includes creating, restoring and protecting natural environments and wildlife habitats, and making sure that everyone in England lives within a 15-minute walk away from green and/or blue spaces. This ties in with one of the findings from […]
Ever thought about surfing your troubling thoughts away? Recently, BBC One aired an episode of We Are England on a group of emergency service workers in north Devon who have taken part in a surf therapy program called Surfwell. Surfwell has been working with front-line workers and emergency service providers to help improve staff well-being, […]
How often did you visit blue spaces as a kid? How often do you visit blue spaces now? A recent study by Vitale and colleagues (2022) has found that across 18 countries, going to blue spaces during childhood is linked to better well-being in adulthood. The study suggested that this might be due to those […]
Hello there! Welcome to “What blue can do for you?” Website. On it you’ll find plenty of resources going into details about blue spaces and how they have helped the participants of this research project. We hope you enjoy exploring the site and find out what blue can do for you! – Blue spaces team
People in our study described the immediate impact on them of being in a blue space. This seemed to be partly a result of the qualities of that space, as well as their relationship with it over time. Here are some of the ways in which being in blue space affected them in the moment. […]
People talked about lots of things that helped or hindered making the most of blue spaces, including: -The space being nearby meant that even when feeling unwell, getting there usually felt manageable -The weather was sometimes a barrier but wild weather was often seen as a positive. -The presence of too many other people was […]
The participants in our study described the relationship they had with the most important blue spaces in their lives. We noticed some themes that stood out from what they said. At points people described blue spaces in their lives almost like a kind and comforting friend “depression is very, very isolating and you can just […]
Our participants talked about several different aspects of blue spaces that seemed important in creating their helpful effects. Many people liked that blue spaces are predictable – you know what you are going to get, and at the same time they are ever changing and full of interest. “the view is is different every single […]
Here are some of the alternatives people mentioned: -Photos or paintings of blue spaces -Imaging myself in my favourite blue space -Wave / water sound apps or videos -Nature documentaries -Swimming pools / waterparks -Blue glass objects -Computer games involving blue space -Shower / bath -Standing in the rain -Urban fountains -Blue home décor -Activities […]
Here are some of the definitions people gave: “For me it’s just spending any time near any body of water …that could be a stream, it could be an estuary, could be a lake, it could be a pond” “a canal…a reservoir…it doesn’t have to be a naturally occurring thing. Just somewhere where there’s some […]