Benefits of Aquarium | Do Aquarium Reduce Stress?

Have you ever caught yourself staring at an aquarium and getting lost in a kaleidoscope of colors, forgetting about all that worries you? We constantly seek a refuge from the hustle bustle around us to relax and recharge our batteries. Along with exercise, yoga and morning walks, having aquarium is an unconventional and surprisingly effective way of reducing stress and anxiety. Anecdotal observations by fish keepers and scientific research have shown that fish keeping as a hobby is aesthetically pleasing and has the power to reduce stress It makes people calmer, happier and healthier.

Nature plays an important role in mental, emotional and physical health. Being in contact with Nature helps one de-stress. An aquarium offers you a sneak-peek into the deep recesses of aquatic life that are otherwise not commonly accessible.  Gazing at the colorful marine creatures is not just a treat to the eyes, but also has a rejuvenating impact. Feeling the calm ambiance and serene vibes that an aquarium offers a form of meditation. It is easy to lose track of time as the tank teeming with colors grabs your attention. Water hues, waves, colorful pebbles, rock, live corals, the sound of trickling water have a positive effect on mood. The bouquets of brightly colored aquatic plants swinging ceaselessly and rhythmically in the invisible current and the fish delicately meandering through them have a hypnotic effect. The longer you observe the fish, the more content and calmer you feel. This is why it is common to find aquariums in workplace, childcare centres, spas, waiting rooms , and places where people usually feel anxious, like healthcare environments -it is more than just a statement décor.

Urban lifestyles bring with them feelings of isolation, loneliness and passivity. Having an aquarium keeps one’s mind active and busy. The routine tasks of feeding the fish, cleaning the tank, changing water and checking the filter every few weeks, turning lights on and off helps keep stress at bay. Having aquariums has proved to be therapeutic for heart patients. Just by observing fish moving tranquilly through an aquarium helps lower blood pressure , cures insomnia and slow down heart rate. Aquarium-gazing helps children and elders alike. Researchers at Purdue University have observed that the pacifying benefits of aquarium are a good way to calm children, even hyper-active ones. Alzheimer’s patients watching aquariums, too, have shown improvement.

Pets are good stress-relievers and a source of happiness. Compared with popular choices for pets like dogs and cats, fish are one of the less popular and under-appreciated choice as pets. But their low status in the hierarchy of preference is hardly deserved. Having fish as pets has a lot of upsides. They are low-maintenance pets, requiring minimal attention, consuming very little energy. Just feed them right, look after their health and routinely change the water. Additionally, barring the initial set-up cost, the yearly expenses of an aquarium are nowhere near the expenses of having dogs and cats. Aquatic pets are perfect for people who enjoy quiet, have very busy lifestyles, live in limited space, travel a lot or whose landlords do not permit having dogs or cats in their apartments. Thus, having an home aquarium allows you to have all advantages and stress relief of a pet.

So, if you are finding it difficult to unwind your nerves after a stressful day, we suggest you unplug yourself from technology for a while and reconnect with the Nature by getting a small home aquarium and letting the miniature aquatic world soothe your mind.