Water: How to Thrive with Depression Series (Part 9)

Welcome back to the Thriving with Depression Series! Thank you for joining me on my adventure! 

To view the full series, check out our archive! As a reminder to new readers, you can start anywhere, even here as articles do not need to be read in any particular order. 

The process is surprisingly easy. You do not have to remember a complex password, run for 5 miles every morning, or travel to some far-off country and meet with a shaman (although that last one does sound interesting to me 😊)

So far, in the thriving (not just surviving) depression series, the 3 main, very easy, steps are:

Step One: Reframing your Point of View. Select one or two areas in your life that cause you the most stress. Each time you have a negative thought about your area(s), you are going to write down something you do like about it. 

Step Two: Read Out Loud. You are going to read aloud the positive thoughts you wrote down. 

Step Three: Stop and Smell the Roses. Inhale a pleasant scent while reading out loud.

Additional Tasks: While not required, as you are learning to thrive, anything you can do that improves your mental health, your physical health, and your physical well-being will bring you closer to thriving. 

One of the areas I selected was my health. When I first sat down and tried to find some positive aspects of chronic health issues, I was stumped. After all, what is good about feeling bad? The second area I chose, work, was much easier. Although my job can be really stressful at times, there are a lot of good things I can say about it! A great boss, a paycheck every two weeks, learning new things all the time?

But what do I say about health? I like pain, I enjoy going to the doctors, and who doesn’t love getting a medical bill in the mail? Ok, enough with the negativity and sarcasm. I had to dig deep, but I did it. And I found that even in the midst of darkness there is always light. Once I reframed my thoughts on health something else happened. I no longer felt sorry for myself. I can’t tell you how many hours I felt cheated or angry. Now, while I am occasionally jealous when I see someone who can play tennis or go on a long hike, it is a momentary feeling that encourages me to keep going. It inspires me and gives me a goal to achieve. It might take while, but the idea of playing a game of tennis with my husband again one day is an exciting thought! 

See below some examples of how I learned to reframe and thrive despite having chronic illness and pain. 

Step One: Reframing My Point of View.

My negative thought: I’m tired of being tired became My reframed thought: My body is intelligent and lets me know when I need to slow down.

My negative thought: I am tired of going to the doctors became My reframed thought: I understand both sides of medicine, as a nurse and as a patient. It helps me understand more about my chosen field and more about what my patients endure.

My negative thought: I wish I didn’t have so many health problems became My reframed thought: overcoming obstacles has made me mentally stronger. (When you go through something challenging and find that you are ok despite everything, you do feel and become stronger. The human psych has an amazing ability to adapt to obstacles). 

Step Two: Read Out Loud.

Ok, I went ahead and read out my positive thoughts. (Just the positive, not the negative). 

Step Three: Stop and Smell the Roses. For step three I used coconut body spray, it reminds me of the beach and ocean, a calming place for me.

Additional Tasks: Other things I do to help: Exercise (walking), chiropractic care, I eat many health foods, take hot baths, and schedule something fun to do, including writing and trying to help others. 

Now, the next topic of my Thriving with Depression Series. I previously discussed exercise. This time I discuss the topic of water, the magical elixir.

So, why water???

The body is over half water. Every cell has water. The body has to maintain the water and mineral balance in each cell. The body also needs to keep the bloodstream (the blood volume) at a certain level as well. Therefore, water plays a role in the functioning of every body system. It is considered the most important nutrient so, not surprisingly, we can’t go without it for more than 2-3 days. 

When the body is dehydrated (even slightly) and does not have enough water, the following is affected:

1. Temperature Regulation 

2. Physical Performance- it affects endurance and can cause fatigue.

3. Cognitive Performance- It affects mood, concentration, alertness and short-term memory.

4. Gastrointestinal Function- It can lead to constipation.

5. Kidney Function- Dehydration can increase risk of kidney stones.

6. Heart Function- The blood volume, blood pressure and heart rate are closely linked.

7. Headaches

8. Skin- The skin is 30% water so water can contribute to plumpness, elasticity and resiliency of the skin.

9. Chronic Diseases. Dehydration may be a risk factor in relation to chronic diseases. Exactly how is not known but any healthy lifestyle habits have a positive effect on overall health. (1)

By helping the body run at optimal levels, you’ll be able to detect several positive features from water.

1. Because it does affect physical performance, it provides us with more energy.

2. It provides satiety and increases your metabolism; both very positive features if you’re trying to lose weight.

3. Because it affects mood, water can help with depression. There is some evidence that it does this by keeping cortisol levels down, the stress hormone. (2) (3) 

Great, right? But what if you don’t like water? The most common complaints about water: (1) It doesn’t taste very good, (2) It hurts the stomach, (3) You have to always be drinking it and, (4) You have to always be near a bathroom. 

Complaint #1: It doesn’t taste very good.  

Suggestions: There are many types and brands of bottled and filtered water available. There are some brands of plain bottled water that I like and some that I avoid. Not all taste the same. The same is true with filtered water. You can add fruit or flavorings in your water. Just try and avoid using with too many with additives. You may be surprised. Once I got used to it, I even started to look forward to drinking it. 

Complaint #2: It hurts my stomach.

Suggestions #2: The usual recommended amount per day is 8-12 8 oz glasses per day. Please consult with your physician as your recommended amount per day may vary especially if you have kidney or cardiac problems. However, start small. 

Start with 2 glasses per day until you get used to it. Any sudden change in food or drink can upset the stomach and cause discomfort. You may also find some types hurt your stomach while other kinds do not. 

Complaint #3: It is inconvenient because you have to always be drinking water!

Suggestions #3: Yes, once you build up to the amount of water recommended by your provider, you will probably always have water with you or nearby. But like any habit in life, once you are used to it, you won’t even think much about it. Also, start slowly and create the habit slowly. It is better to start slowly and have it work for you then to try to make drastic changes to your routine all at once.

Complaint #4: You have to always be near a bathroom. 

Suggestions #4: This is another reason to start slowly. You need to get your body used to all of the extra fluid. Then you will find you don’t need to rush to the restroom every half hour. 

I personally see a difference on days I drink my water vs. days I do not. Most of my water is plain with occasional flavored water. My skin looks healthier, I am not as tired, I don’t eat as much, and my mood is better.