Blog - Exploring City Health: Rio De Janeiro

Ever wondered how the city you live in affects your overall health and well-being? Every city has different influences on your health. In this series, I’ll explore how different factors shape health in different cities around the world that I have been to. Every other week, I’ll take a closer look at how a specific city impacts the daily lives of its residents and tourists through my own experiences and showing the benefits and challenges of that city. As someone who has traveled to nearly 30 countries, I'm excited to share my personal insights and some of my images and videos, to give a more inside and exclusive look at the factors that influence mental health. Today, we’ll explore Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

In Rio, the city’s amazing beaches, beautiful mountains, and vibrant culture create an active lifestyle. There are many activities like beach volleyball, soccer, and surfing. Spending time in their community, with family gatherings, at parties, and at cultural activities benefit emotional and social health in Rio, such as the Carnaval.

When I visited Rio in 2023, I was amazed by how relaxed and happy everyone seemed, like their lives were carefree. I remember walking through the city and seeing people gather on the beaches and playing sports or dancing without a worry about anything. I was curious about this and questioned a local. They said, “The people here know that there aren’t many opportunities to make a lot of money, so they choose to enjoy life and have fun instead.” Even though their quality of life is not great, the happiness they maintain is truly inspiring.

The high amount of crime, especially in the poorer areas of the city, causes major feelings of insecurity. Constant concern about safety, mainly at night, can affect the overall mental well-being of residents and lead to serious anxiety.

As a many tourists like myself visit this city, it can be exciting and energizing for the locals as it boosts the city's economy and creates more job opportunities. However, tourism can be overwhelming. The high demand for things and the disruption of daily life can create stress for residents who just want to go about their daily lives without the crazy amount of visitors.

Rio Carnaval

Rio has a very tropical climate and has very hot and humid temperatures nearly all year round. While warm weather is nice, it can get overwhelming. The intense heat can cause a lot of discomfort for those not used to it and make people less productive. Rio also experiences high amount of rain all the time, leading to floods and not being able to plan outdoor activities.

Overall, Rio is a picturesque place to live in, but it does come with it's challenges. From safety concerns and tourists, Life here can sometimes be tough, but sometimes the benefits of the city can outweigh the drawbacks.