“Let’s Move to the Country”
Green Acres told the story of a fictional businessman who desperately wanted to move to the country to start his new life.
He and his wife move to a run-down farm in the countryside, only to discover that maintaining a working farm is a whole lot more challenging than it looks.
And while we city dwellers may not all have the same interest in farm work, it’s common to have fantasies about moving away from the hustle and bustle for a simpler life in a rural community.
There are many aspects of country life that come down to personal preference, such as living in a small town and having a more personal relationship with your neighbors.
But what we know for sure is that there are many potential health benefits of living in the country, from mental health to physical wellbeing.
In the article below, we will explore just a few of these benefits. Who knows, in a few years you could be living on a farm, jamming to your favorite happy tunes.
Contents
Lower Levels of Stress
Living in a large city requires you to be on your toes at all times. There are many safety concerns that arise in the city, but there’s also just a large amount of sensory input at all times.
The city has more sounds, more people, and more reasons why you can’t just walk down the street in a daze.
Then there’s the claustrophobic effect of all the skyscrapers and office buildings, many of which block the sunlight for a large portion of the day.
Living in the country cuts out many of these concerns, especially when it comes to the amount of mental stimulation.
Having fewer things and people to pay attention to can help you feel less stressed on a daily basis, which can in turn help prevent many different health issues.
Air Quality
Air quality has become a much more serious concern in recent years. Even suburban communities have started to experience higher levels of air contamination.
It’s the result of greenhouse gasses as well as pollutants produced by humans. And in almost all cases, cities have the worst air quality around.
Living in the country is nearly a surefire guarantee for accessing cleaner air on a daily basis. And let’s face it: none of us wants to worry about breathing in contaminants.
In the country, there are just fewer sources of airborne pollutants. Simple.
Personal Space
As the population continues to grow, many cities are having to deal with infrastructure that simply doesn’t support these larger populations.
Real estate development in cities often prioritizes optimizing space. The focus is rarely to provide large living spaces, especially not at affordable prices.
In the end, throughout the course of a day in the city, you just have much less space to yourself, from your home to your workspace to public transit.
For many people, this doesn’t prove to be a problem. But for many others, having a certain amount of personal space is an absolute necessity.
This is another area where country living holds the advantage. Renting a larger living space in the country is much more affordable.
And when it comes to walking in your immediate area, there will just be fewer people around.
You’ll have much more space to yourself and will most likely be happier as a result.
Exercise Safety
While exercising in a gym can be a relatively similar experience whether you live in the city or in the rural countryside, the outdoor exercise activities can vary wildly depending on where you live.
For example, maybe you enjoy running or have committed to it as a consistent source of exercise.
If you live in the city, running comes with a whole host of safety concerns, many of them centered around the frequency of traffic and the lack of quality sidewalks where you can run safely.
Cycling in a city can also be a real challenge unless systems have already been put into place to protect cyclists and provide bike lanes throughout the city.
But when living in the country, you can run and/or cycle to your heart’s content and never have to worry about being run down by a passing car.
You’re also much more likely to find designated nature trails and biking paths if you live in the countryside, making it that much easier to exercises safely every single day.
Lower Crime Rates
Crime rates are lower in rural areas. It’s that simple. You’re just less likely to run into trouble in the country.
And no, the country isn’t some utopian landscape completely devoid of crime, but rural areas often see much lower incidents of violent crime.
Armed with this knowledge, you may be less likely to stress about driving or walking alone in the country.
In certain cities, walking alone at night simply can’t be done without risk of serious harm.
Local and Organic Food
When you live closer to working farms, you also have first pick when it comes to local produce and organic food products.
Many small towns in the countryside offer regular farmers’ markets where you can peruse the goods of local growers.
Purchasing local foods is beneficial for your health, the economy, and the environment as a whole.
You may even start up a friendly familiarity with many of the local growers, who can in turn point you to some other great sources of local foods.
Connecting with Nature
And when you live in the country, it shouldn’t be all that hard to find something green. Surrounding yourself with nature can be beneficial to your health in a variety of ways.
For one, being close to nature gives you the opportunity to explore and exercise out in the wilderness.
Look for some nearby nature preserves or paths where you can visit once a week or more to get some fresh air and a chance to relax.
Living close to nature can also make it a bit easier to pull yourself away from your digital devices and many sources of entertainment, helping you cut down on eye strain and media saturation.
