It might sound silly, but dehydration is one of the sneakiest physical states that affects our overall health and aggravates anxiety symptoms. Dehydration increases the likelihood of physical pain and discomfort, intensifies “brain fog,” and depletes our energy reserves, making us tired and weakened before the day is over.
That’s just when we don’t hydrate enough throughout the day, which most of us don’t. Add anxiety to the mix, and we increase the likelihood of dehydration. When we’re nervous or worried, we shake, we sweat, we breathe quickly and shallowly–even when we’re not aware of those subtle physical changes–thereby losing valuable water molecules to the air around us. To compound the problem, our preoccupations with our mental thoughts and worries cause us to neglect our physical, present experience, decreasing the likelihood that we’ll respond to subtle thirst cues and drink up.
Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to combat this pervasive dehydration problem by practicing mindful hydration techniques!
JUMPSTART YOUR DAY Start your morning with a great big glass of water.
MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE Keep a glass or bottle of water nearby you at all times.
MONITOR YOUR INTAKE Set a timer, or download an app that reminds you to monitor your hourly water consumption.
HUNGER CHECK Precede each meal with a glass of water.
BALANCE Drink a glass of water for every non-water beverage you consume.
REHYDRATE Follow every hike, workout, steaming shower, sweltering traffic jam, etc. with a glass of cool, refreshing water.
RESPOND TO EMOTIONAL CUES Soothe yourself after arguments, emotional outbursts, and worry storms with some mindful sips of H2O to return yourself back to your physical, present state.
Practicing these techniques has an added anti-anxiety benefit because it puts you in a more constant the state of physical self-care and mindfulness. Checking in with and caring for the body is the best antidote to mental anguish and anxiety. So bottoms up!