Over the weekend I decided to spend the evening of my birthday at one of my favorite quiet beaches in Ventura. Im not too great with the names but this beach it located right by Pierpont Elementary school. Being a psychology major I always think of the effects the environment around us can have on our own personal behavior and mood. The layout of the beach is about a 100 foot width of sandy beach then there are some houses that border the back area. This beach is typically empty and there is plenty of space to find somewhere quiet and personal. The beach can bring great stress relief and we Californians are quite privileged to have the ability to swing by for just a few minutes. The continuity in the sounds of waves crashing on the shore is enough to forget all of your life’s current issues and allows you to get lost in a moment with nature.
Being at the beach always reminds me of the times my family would head out to Zuma for the day and my sisters and I would get beyond sunburnt without even realizing. This memory always comes back to me whenever I visit a beach and it will forever bring me to a calming state where all of my anxieties fade away. There is always a freeing psychological release when it comes to the beach for just about anyone. Being surrounded by an astounding force of nature such as the ocean is quite breathtaking and helps center your thoughts and feelings so easily. Personally, I’ve never felt stressed at a beach and it’s actually quite challenging for me to get mad at one either. There is a connection with the environment at the beach that we do not typically have with nature when we are in the man-made cityscapes of Los Angeles or overbuilt suburban areas. Many psychologists have actually focused their practices on the beach and using it for therapeutic methods. The California coast is well known for rehabilitation centers of any sort that include the beach in their treatments. Our connections with nature are important and the beach is always a place that will bring me back down to earth.
