The Joys of Country Living
Although being away from the comforts of a major city isn’t always convenient, the peace of mind, fresh air, and reduced stress that comes with living in the country far outweigh the benefits of urban life.
Compared to even a century ago, much of our planet is an urbanized one. Right now, 55% of the world’s population lives in cities, a number that is projected to rise to nearly 70% in three decades’ time. It makes perfect sense that people (especially in this frenetic day and age of push-push) live for ease and accessibility. After all, don’t you want your home to be as close as possible to your work, schools, gyms, and other amenities?
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has unexpectedly changed the way we work, most likely permanently. The office is (and has been, for several years now) becoming increasingly less about the traditional setting in a business tower to our home offices, bedrooms, coffee shops, etc.
As of this writing, a whopping 42% of the American labor force works remotely, most from home.
The ability to work from almost anywhere has opened a world of opportunities not previously available to the average person. Starlink, a satellite internet constellation created by inventor Elon Musk, had its last launch on December 5 and is capable of providing top notch internet to even many of the planet’s remotest regions, thus making country living that much more of a feasible option for those who yearn to escape the concrete jungles that dot our landscapes.
Now that we’ve got this out of the way, let’s talk about the benefits and joys that come with living in the country, including improved health. As you probably already knew, the further away from the cities you get, the more the air quality improves. A greater abundance of grass, trees, and bushes also means less pollution. For people suffering from asthma and heart problems, there can be no better relief than being surrounded by nature and clean air.
If you live in a major city, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It seems you can’t go anywhere and not escape the wrath of crowds running in every direction, not to mention surveillance cameras everywhere, which in my opinion is an invasion of privacy. Spending day in and day out in such a congested environment is an aggravating source of stress, one that can take years off of your life.
Instead of seeing throngs of people everywhere you go (including city parks) when you reside in the country — and need a break from the stresses of life — you can walk for miles in the forest and not see another living soul, save for those cute little wild animals that are as rare of Haley’s Comet in the city.
Rural living is also better for your psychological health. Waking up surrounded by scenes of nature instead of endless buildings and noise naturally lower your risk of overstimulation. There are scientific studies done that state mental health problems are more widespread in cities due to overstimulation.
It goes without saying that in these uncertain times, a growing number of people are looking to make their break to a slower, more peaceful way of life. Country living provides not only a safe environment to raise children but also the opportunity to grow your own food.
Chris McGarry is a professional freelance writer. He uses his expert knowledge, skills, and personal experience in writing about such topics as real estate, travel, fitness, politics, and digital marketing to create innovative, entertaining, and engaging content for his clients. He writes for Medium, TravelPlus, ThriveGlobal, The Canadian Firearms Journal, and more. His specialty is writing articles and books as well as copywriting and editing and proofreading.