How Water Can Make Us Happier

How Water Can Make Us Happier by Lesley Robb of Swell Made Co. Photo by Mourad Saadi.

How Water Can Make Us Happier by Lesley Robb of Swell Made Co. Photo by Mourad Saadi.

I recently read a book called Blue Mind by Wallace J. Nichols. The premise of the book is to reveal the science behind how water can make us happier and healthier. Having lived near water for much of my life, I was so intrigued. Water has always captivated me and felt like home. This past summer, as we were all staying in place, I made an effort to spend more time by, in or on the water and it definitely made the world feel less heavy. Watching my kids play and swim in the water at a small local beach made summer feel “normal” and magical even when times were anything but.

Water has a way of healing—making us more resilient, but also more compassionate. Can it actually make us happier, though? It’s a bold claim. It turns out, like other vast spaces in nature, it can. Keep reading to learn more about how water, so simple yet powerful, benefits our mental and physical wellbeing.

Is It As Simple as “Just Add Water?”

Of course not. Water isn’t going to cure everything we’re dealing with in our lives (especially right now), but you can choose to heal and build resiliency in small and simple ways that bring joy to your daily life. If you think about your relationship with water, I bet you can recall some of your happiest memories from childhood right into adulthood. Pause and reflect right now. Can you remember? Me too. I can think of a few actually!

Perhaps it was bathing in the tub or an inflatable pool with your siblings as a child, running through a sprinkler, lazy summer days at the beach, your annual trip to a cottage or camp on a lake, an adventure far away to the ocean or sea, swimming for hours in a pool, fishing with a family member, growing up and then bathing your own kids in the tub with puffy clouds of bubbles.

We don’t think about it much, but when we take count, many of our simplest and sweetest moments in life involve water. The purpose of this post is to help you bring back some of that joy and feel better too. Even just a little bit. Open your “blue mind” and let water in. Here are some simple ways to do just that.

What is a Blue Mind?

“The term “blue mind” describes the mildly meditative state we fall into when near, in, on or underwater. It’s the antidote to what we refer to as the “red mind,” which is the anxious, over-connected and over-stimulated state that defines the new normal of modern life. Research has proven that spending time near the water is essential to achieving elevated and sustained happiness.” marine biologist and author of the 2014 book Blue Mind, describes.

“People can experience the benefits of the water whether they’re near the ocean, a lake, river, swimming pool or even listening to the soothing sound of a fountain,” Nichols, says. ”we’re naturally drawn to blue space… but even if you aren’t in an area where there is easy access to water, you can still experience [its] emotional benefits.”

Here are a few simple ways to get add more water to your life right now.

5 Ways to Add More Water to Your Life

1 - Drink More Water

The simplest way to start feeling the benefits of water is to drink it. After all, our bodies (and the planet) are 70% water. If you’re like most adults, you’re probably not getting enough throughout the day to stay hydrated. The daily recommendation from Harvard Health is 4-6 glasses per day for a healthy adult, but like many things when it comes to our health, there is no one size fits all solution. It depends on your body, diet (water-rich foods), how much you move throughout the day, your environment and more.

Aim to start your day with a glass of water (yes, before coffee) and to have one with each meal. Keep water at your desk too. Drink more if you’re sweating, but don’t forget your daily intake includes other liquids like tea or juice.

The benefits of a simple glass of water include—helping you think more clearly, aiding gut health and digestion, regulating blood pressure and body temperature and keeping your joints healthy.

2 - Take a Hot Bath

I’m not suggesting you become a #bathfluencer and yes, self-care is a bit of a buzzword these days (for good reason); but you should carve out some time and take a good old-fashioned bath. Why? Hot baths improve heart health, mental health and help us sleep better. If you have achy muscles or joints, a good soak can help too. Add Epsom salts.

How you take a bath is up to you! Light a candle, bring a book, have a glass of wine by your side, bath in the dark. Whatever works for you. What matters most is taking time back for yourself to be in the water.

Bathing Around The World
In countries all over the world, bathing is a ritual for health and healing. In Iceland (and other Nordic countries), bathing in geothermal waters is as commonplace as going to the pub (as the British do). Not only is it a place to enjoy the health benefits of water, but it’s also a part of social life. When we travelled to Iceland as a family back in 2016, pools were an excellent way to connect with local people and culture. It sounds absurd since we can’t gather right now, but pools around the world are places where the communities thrive. And, yes! You must have a full body shower (including hair) before entering.

The same goes for Japan where bathing is ingrained in the culture. In Japan, people gather at onsen (hot springs) and sentō (bathing houses) to alleviate stress and fatigue. Regular bathers in Japan have been shown to have a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.

Finally, in Turkey, the tradition of purification by cleansing is a therapeutic ritual that extends back to Ancient Rome and is an essential part of the culture. A Turkish bath (hammam) is a hot steam treatment that has miraculous effects on mental and physical wellbeing including relieving stress and improving circulation.

3 - Or Shower

No bathtub? No problem! A hot shower is just as soothing. Hang some eucalyptus in your shower to feel that spa-like luxuriousness. When you shower, take a moment to truly be aware and feel the hot water on all parts of your body. Try the shower meditation below to boost your mood.

It’s no coincidence that you might have your best ideas in the shower—you are giving your mind the time to pause and think freely in a relaxing environment with no distractions other than the sensation of water (and possibly some aromatherapy if you have that eucalyptus—deep breaths!). When you feel safe and relaxed in the shower, dopamine flows and so does your creativity!

“Take a shower, visualize yourself washing away your stress and anxiety. Concentrate on the feel of the water upon your skin. Envision the power of washing away your negative thoughts. Feel sadness, regret, anger, and worry washing right off you. Let it all go down the drain, you’ll start to feel lighter and more clear. ”
— Shower Meditiation

4 - Be In, On or Near Water

If you’re one of the lucky few who live near water—be near it. Walk by the water. Sit by the water. Paddle on the water. Swim in the water. Simply look at the water.

Right now, as a lot of us are confined to our homes and neighbourhoods, we’re missing the sensation or feeling of awe. Experiencing awe has numerous health benefits. It’s scientifically proven to calm, content, temper egos, expand the sense of wonder and vastness, and make us more generous. Water switches our perspective from me to we and boosts our ability to be compassionate. This emotion is often induced in natural settings. There’s a lot of research and talk about forest bathing, but there’s less buzz about “blue spaces” which offer the same benefits for our mental and physical health. Simply put, being in nature, whether in the woods or the seaside, has the ability to humble and inspire us.

That said, where “blue space” seems to have an advantage over other natural environments, is that water has a psychologically restorative effect. Spending time in and near water has consistently been shown to lead to significantly higher benefits, in inducing positive mood and reducing negative mood and stress, than green space does.

Nichols also talks about water as a source of creativity and inspiration. “When you look at water, there’s what people describe as this soft fascination—something that is interesting and that holds your attention, but not in an information-rich way… By that, I mean technology and screens, first and foremost,” he says. “Water takes you away from distractions and simplifies the visual landscape.”

5 - Listen to Water

As mentioned above, if you’re near water you can listen to it to get some of the calming benefits. Lapping waves, rushing rivers, falling rain and bubbling streams all offer the same calming benefits to help us get into the elusive flow state. As water flows, so too does our mind helping us be more happy and calm, but also creative and focused.

Even if you can’t be near water, there are apps that will help you feel at ease by listening to the sounds of water. When water is absent we can still see the benefits as our efforts become an exercise in mindfulness. Orfeu Buxton, Ph.D., a professor of biobehavioral health at Pennsylvania State University talks about the benefits of water sounds—“They are rhythmic and usually build-up or dissipate gradually, rather than suddenly, which are qualities that the brain finds inherently soothing.”

Respect Water

Finally, respect the water. If you have the options to do any or all of the above, you have the privilege of accessing one of nature’s most abundant resources that is hard to come by for a large part of the world and will be increasingly harder to come by in the future as we see the impacts of climate change. Respect it. Conserve it. Water is life-giving, but it also needs our help to protect it.

WellnessLesley RobbWellnessComment