I can recall hot and muggy summer days when I was a child, and usually because there was nothing to watch on our three-channel television, I’d decide to go fishing. I’d grab my pole from the shed, dig an old coffee can from the back of the shelf that held my dad’s collection of nuts and bolts, and head to the barn. I’d stop briefly to dig some worms from one of the horse stalls, then make my way down the pasture hill, through the creek and up to the pond.

I’d sit there on the bank, in the shade of a pecan tree that must have been over a hundred years old and fish until my bait ran out. I’d rarely keep what I caught; the little fish barely had any meat on them worth cooking. Every so often one of the horses would amble over to investigate, snuffling my hair as my gaze was fixed on the bobber that ducked gently beneath the surface of the water.

I didn’t know it at age nine, but I was in a Zen state. Fishing is one of those activities that allows the brain to shut down as muscle memory takes over, and as the brain enters a state of relaxation, some powerful things can happen. Scientists have begun to actively study this phenomenon, and their results are at once astonishing (to the scientists) and not surprising at all (to those who fish).

Mental Benefits

When scientists from the University of Utah, the University of Southern Maine and the Salt Lake City Veteran’s Administration got together to study the benefits of fishing, they focused their efforts on soldiers who had been diagnosed with PTSD. After their subjects attended a three-night fly fishing retreat, they reported lower stress, a better quality of sleep and a greater sense of well-being.

The therapeutic effect of fishing even has a name: piscatorial therapy. As fishing has long been associated with simple relaxation and a quieting of mental activity, therapists and other mental health professionals are pushing this activity to their patients and clients, with often excellent results. For many people suffering from mental illness, a chance to disconnect is instrumental in healing.

Physical Benefits

The physical benefits of fishing can’t be overlooked either. While some might not see casting a rod as particularly physically taxing, they also don’t see the other efforts anglers make throughout the day. Hiking or wading through streams and rivers burns calories and tones muscles. The fresh air of the great outdoors stimulates the cardiovascular system, and to those who are lucky enough to hook a big one, the process of landing the fish can take a great deal of physical effort.

Social Benefits

As a group of people gets together to cast lines, there is the distinct presence of individuality within a group, as each person tends to their own business. There is little concern for the age, sex, race, social standing or economic status of the people involved. It’s simply a group of people working separately for a common goal. Additionally, for those who may have intense stress issues, the company of a group of calm and relaxed individuals can be invaluable.

As the stress melts away, a group fishing trip is the perfect opportunity for team building exercise, which is one of the reasons that fishing trips have become very popular as corporate retreats.  It’s virtually impossible to maintain a tense office dynamic or mindset while experiencing the beauty and serenity of nature and the Zen of fishing. Thus, co-workers find themselves relating on a different and more thought provoking level, and this forges stronger bonds that will accompany corporate teams back to the office. If you are looking for a way to revitalize your employees’ energy and spirit, consider booking a fishing lodge for a corporate retreat.

Fishing is a primal experience, and it is a unique opportunity for us as humans to place ourselves back in the midst of nature, with all of its uncertainties. It’s an exercise in restraint and a reminder that there are some things that can’t be rushed or forced. There are aspects of life that will happen in their own time, or they won’t, and either outcome is okay. There’s absolutely no need to worry about fishing, and the peace that comes with that knowledge is invaluable.

With so much stress and worry in our lives, it’s imperative we learn how to take time for ourselves. We need to regain the ability to disconnect from the stressors that plague us daily and become more familiar with those activities that require only a steady hand, a relaxed mind, patience and time. We could all use more of that in our lives.