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Having an aquarium in your home is much more than just a beautiful décor item. An aquarium is a way of bringing a natural blue space inside and comes with a host of awesome benefits that are calming and could help your mental and physical wellbeing.
You do not have to have a large aquarium to reap these benefits according to All Women’s Talk, a small fish tank filled with pebbles, and colorful fish is all you need to start feeling your best
Helps Reduce Stress
While it is well-known that owning a pet is calming, most people naturally think of a dog or cat and not necessarily fish. But keeping fish can also have the same result. Spending time watching your swimming pets after a stressful day is a good way to relax,
In fact, an aquarium can have an almost hypnotic affect in destressing you. According to The Spruce, patients in dental offices that watch an aquarium required less pain medication. It’s no wonder that so many doctors and dentists have fish tanks in their offices.
Could Lower Blood Pressure
Besides having a calming effect, people who spend time at public aquariums experience reductions in their heart rate and blood pressure – especially in seniors – according to research published in Plos One. The researchers studied the effects of interacting with fish in an aquarium on wellbeing. The study found that the rate of relaxation increased when there are more species. You can reproduce this experience daily by keeping fish at home.
Aids people with Alzheimer’s Disease
Seniors with Alzheimer’s may experience improved wellbeing from watching fish swim in an aquarium, according to The Spruce. Watching brightly colored fish could curtail disruptive behavior, improve mood, and increase the food intake of people with this form of dementia. Patients actually eat better if there is a fish tank in the dining room of senior facilities.
Helps children with ADHD
Brightly decorated fish tanks can also have a calming effect on children with ADHD. If there’s no way that you can keep an aquarium at home, playing a video of fish swimming with calming bubbling sounds or soothing music could also help.
An added bonus is that having a fish tank at home could get your child interested in learning more about fish. It’s a win/win.
Promotes better sleep
Keeping an aquarium in your bedroom can also help you sleep better, according to All Women’s Talk. Besides feeling calmer and less anxious, the soothing bubbling of the tank can help gently lull you to sleep. If all else fails, you can try counting fish!
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