Rural living is good for your health
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Bridging the Divide
Chuck Bradley
Living in rural areas is an excellent way to establish some peace in your life, slow the pace of your daily ritual and clear your head.
Although I am not a physician, I realize there are legitimate health benefits to rural living. Sure, you’re away from the hustle and bustle of the large city, but could you actually be doing something GREAT for your health?
There is no disagreement that stress is a large contributor to a number of health problems. On top of being bad for you, being stressed is generally uncomfortable, affects your personality and damages your relationships.
While the city’s convenience offers quick access to a number of stores and activities, the constant buzz of cars and people can take a toll. Noise, pace and the potential for danger are all things that contribute to stress in cities.
A recent study found that those who lived in the city also responded worse to stress than those who lived in the country. Rural living offers quiet, space and the opportunity to incorporate relaxation into your life.
Rural living also offers the opportunity to eat fresh organic foods grown in your area; also it offers the pure enjoyment of watching it grow. While city living allows you to grab a bite whenever you want, the food isn’t always healthy or the best quality.
People in rural areas depend on one another and get to know each other. Rural living tends to generate close-knit communities.
Cities, while crowded with people, aren’t always the kindest and welcoming places. With that said, loneliness is an increasingly large problem in the United States, and strong rural community ties are great antidotes to loneliness.
Living rurally gives you the chance to take care of the land, have control over your property and find a sense of purpose in your living environment.
There’s good reason to believe that living in a city can contribute to mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. This is because of a number of complex factors, but the reality is that those who live in cities are at a higher risk of having a mental illness than those who live in rural areas.
City schools are saturated with larger classrooms detracting from the quality of education that the students receive. Teachers are spread thin across children and don’t have enough time to address them individually.
Rural areas don’t suffer from this problem, and children can be given the time and attention they deserve. With better early education, children are more likely to go on to college and beyond.
Even if you aren’t going for runs or lifting weights, rural living certainly provides more opportunity to get out and use your body; it is much easier for you to get out and be active.
As opposed to going outside and seeing trees and fields and wild birds, city dwellers have to look out at vast highways, huge billboards with ads designed by people they will never meet and the constant opportunity to get distracted from themselves.
Living out in the country provides the sense that a person can live their life without interference from social pressures or advertisements. It isn’t a stretch to say that large companies try to alter the way you and I think.
Invite your city family and friends to take a trip to Coosa County, meet some of the greatest people and see what it’s like to think for yourself.
Please send your questions or comments to bradleychuck92@gmail.com.
