On Martha’s Vineyard, as August swelters on, the crowds have come. Seemingly overnight, the number of people on our 96-square-mile Island skyrocketed from an ample 20,500 to a staggering 100,000.
The stressors related to summer crowds prompt battle cries from both seasonal and nonseasonal residents who encounter frustrations as they try to lead their day-to-day lives. Overcrowding can impact our mental and physical health. Our environment, an important component to our wellness, can suffer as more of us converge within the Island’s insular boundaries. Increased traffic leads to congested roadways, overcrowded public spaces, and long waiting times for services. The groundswell of people simply does not fit well within the geography of the Vineyard and the service limitations of Island living.
How may summer crowds affect our mental health (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8896325)? Residents may feel alienated as their once-quiet communities become overwhelmed with visitors. An influx of new faces can disrupt social networks, and minimize the amount of personal space needed to feel comfortable. It can make it more time-consuming to accomplish tasks efficiently, because it may take longer to arrive at our destinations. We may have less “breathing room,” or time to decompress, between activities. Compounding this, seasonal influxes can strain local mental health services, making it harder for residents and seasonal visitors to access care.
How about our physical health? More people lead to higher levels of air, noise, and water pollution. While this affects us all, those of us who are very young or have respiratory or cardiovascular problems may suffer acutely. People may choose to forego important medical or social appointments. The plethora of bikes, mopeds, scooters, and cars can lead to more accidents. Greater physical demands placed upon some sectors of the workforce, and often longer working hours at a more intense pace, can also have adverse health consequences.
What about our environment? The Vineyard has a fragile ecosystem which can easily be overtaxed. In recent years, we experienced algal blooms in our ponds, threats to our groundwater, and the potential loss of native species. When natural resources are overused, the resulting environmental damage affects our ability to thrive. We now know that the health of our species is inextricably linked with that of the natural world around us.
Together these effects of crowding increase our stress. Our daily lives become tinged by ruminating over our inability to find a parking space at the Post Office or to navigate the traffic at Five Corners. The physical and mental symptoms of stress rob us of some of the joy of life. Additionally, for some of us, stress-related symptoms can be quite debilitating. The Mayo Clinic offers a useful chart on the symptoms of stress and provides ways to manage it (bit.ly/MC_StressManagement)
Ways to cope with the stress of crowding:
- To decompress, one of the best things we can do is to take a walk. The Island is fortunate to have 202 miles of picturesque trails. There is often ample parking at trailheads, and the trails themselves provide the quietude we need when the world seems to be revolving too quickly. Some of the Island’s trails are now universally accessible, to accommodate a more diverse range of visitors. To get up-to-date information about trails, the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation maintains the MV Trails app: sheriffsmeadow.org/trailsmv-app. Download it and explore!
- Ride the bus, and skip the stress of driving. The Vineyard Transit Authority offers public bus routes around the Island, allowing drivers to stay off the roads, reducing emissions and minimizing traffic-related stresses. The schedule and fares can be found here: vineyardtransit.com/bus-route-schedules.
- Ride a bike. Many popular destinations can be reached safely on our bicycle paths. Check out the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce map, featuring 44 miles of paths which link key destinations around the Island: mvy.com/biking-on-mv.
- Martha’s Vineyard Community Services offers mental health counseling for those of us who could benefit from talking with someone about our stress. Visit the website for more information, or to set up an appointment: mvcommunityservices.org/services/mental-health-services.
- For medical services, the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital now offers virtual care to treat minor illnesses and injuries. It is easy to access, and saves time in trying to get direct care during busy summer months. To log on or set up an account, go here: https://bit.ly/MGB_PatientGateway. If you need a doctor and are new to Patient Gateway, you can find a new-patient form at mvhospital.org/patients_and_visitor/new-patient-form.
- Finally, take a deep breath, and simply enjoy the beauty all around us! The beauty of nature is a great healer.
