Surfing is a powerful reset for mental health. Time in the ocean encourages presence, patience, resilience, and connection, helping you step out of your head and into the moment. As stress levels drop, the balance of mind and body returns, benefiting those dealing with anxiety, depression, and everyday overwhelm. The best part? Lessons learned on the water stay with you long after the waves.
It doesn’t matter how hard you fight it; stress, anxiety, and the demands of daily life can be suffocating. They build, making you feel like you are stuck on a tide you cannot escape. Maybe you recognize what you are feeling, maybe not. But one thing is for sure—you need an out.
What if the solution to mental frustration isn’t just therapy or meditation, but rather time spent soaking up the powerful motion of the ocean? Well, as surf instructors, we understand that surfing isn’t just a physical sport, but a mindset, too. It can be the reset you have been looking for.
The water has a way of showing us things we don’t see on dry ground—the value of patience, presence, resilience, and joy. When it comes to surfing and mental health, here are a few lessons from the water about everyday life.
The Ocean Feels Like Home
There is no denying that the ocean is peaceful. The horizon seems endless as the sound of the waves comes crashing into the shore, one right after the next. Combine this with the smell of saltwater and the feel of the breeze on your face, and it’s easy to let the stress and tension just melt away.
It has been said that being near water causes breathing and heart rates to slow, posture to relax, and expressions to soften. The fight-or-flight response associated with stress becomes less of a threat while mood becomes elevated—as if the body switched from survival mode to balance mode.
Of course, surfers know that it isn’t just being near the ocean that brings about this response, but surfing the water that actually teaches us how to live.
Lesson One: Be Present
You have heard just how important it is to be present by not worrying about what happened yesterday or what tomorrow might bring. After all, this anxious mindset can mentally drag you through some really dark places and tough challenges.
While a therapist may have you sit comfortably, close your eyes, and listen to a guided meditation, the ocean has a different plan. It demands that you are present and focused on what is happening here in this very moment: reading the waves, timing your paddle, feeling the board beneath you as you balance. This is what mindfulness is all about.
You may not be meditating in the traditional sense, but you are fully focused and embracing the present. In turn, you are reducing anxiety, improving focus, and increasing your mental clarity. There are going to be times when you misread a wave. And when you do, you are going to let it go and look for the next one. The more you do this, the more you are training your brain to let go of distraction and refocus.
Lesson Two: Patience is Powerful
Most people today could use a lesson in patience, especially since we have become a society that almost requires instant gratification. We have taught many new surfers over the years, and plenty of them wanted to grab the board, hit the water, and catch a wave right now. The ocean, however, doesn’t work that way. You cannot dictate when the perfect wave will come—they show up in their own time.
This is often how life works. So, rather than thinking about patience as doing nothing but sitting still, why not consider looking at it as being prepared and ready? You may be patiently waiting in anticipation of a wave. And this can be used in all areas of life.
Lesson Three: Fail, Let it Go, and Reset
It does not matter how good you are as a surfer; there are going to be times when you wipe out. And the more you surf, the more you are going to fall off your board. Do you quit? No way. You learn from your mistake, reset, and try it again. Remember, falling off your board is not failure; it is just part of the learning and growing process.
Look, life is going to come with a lot of setbacks, bad days, stressors, and mistakes. You can throw yourself a pity party for one—or you can practice resilience and get back up.
Lesson Four: Community Matters
The surfing community is unlike any other. It may be a solo sport, but that doesn’t mean you are alone. As you dive into it, you will find yourself surrounded by others who share the love of the water just like you.
These are people you will share life with—even if only for a few moments. You will laugh, be encouraged, and feel like you belong. It can be healing for the soul.
Friendships are formed, families bond, and some beginners break out of their shells with the love of surfing. We have watched it happen over and over again, and we know that it sets the foundation for a supportive environment that fosters mental well-being.
Don’t be afraid to get connected.
Lesson Five: Outdoor Movement is Healing
Those who deal with mental health issues like depression and anxiety find it very easy to stay safely tucked away at home. But the best thing to do is get outdoors and engage in physical activity. This will release endorphins, lower cortisol, and promote better sleep. In other words, it gives you everything you need to feel better. Of course, fresh air, sunlight, and muscle engagement help, too.
Taking yourself surfing has been known to boost mood, resilience, and focus. What are you waiting for?
Ready to Bring the Ocean’s Lessons Into Your Life?
Have you felt more stressed lately? Do you feel like your mental health is at stake? Perhaps it is time for you to try something different.
Surfing is more than just a sport. It is the perfect way to reset and strengthen your mind while connecting with everything that matters most. You will feel calmer, confident, and clear-minded as you embrace the rhythm of the ocean and apply it to your life.
Join us for surf lessons at Malibu Makos, located at Zuma Beach. Then, go beyond technique—with lessons from the ocean that you can carry into your everyday life.
