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After a quick breakfast, we headed to the beach, where we met up with the pageant organizers. Our kids were super excited to participate in the event, and we were looking forward to a fun day of sun, sand, and quality time together as a family.

Furthermore, exposure to the outdoors resets our stress hormones. Cortisol, the chemical that makes us feel anxious and overwhelmed, spikes in chaotic, urban environments. It plummets in green spaces. The gentle, fractal patterns of leaves and clouds—what scientists call "soft fascination"—allow our overworked prefrontal cortex to finally rest. After a quick breakfast, we headed to the

On the surface, my family’s annual trip to the Gulf Coast was purely recreational. But beneath the laughter and the sandcastles, a quiet competition unfolded. My mother judged the aesthetic of our beach towels. My father competed for the “Most Relaxed Dad” award by seeing how long he could stare at the horizon. My teenage sister, a veteran of local pageants, practiced her “casual beach wave” as if a hidden panel of judges lurked behind the dunes. We were all performers on a stage of white sand, vying for the unspoken title of The Family Who Had the Best Time . Cortisol, the chemical that makes us feel anxious