There are many theories on why humans are drawn to water. From watching ocean waves crash against a beach, sitting poolside, or even taking a long bath, proximity to water is said to make people feel happier and calmer.
This connection between water and happiness left us thinking: can hydration make you happier? Is there a connection between mental health and hydration?
Hydration and Brain Function
About 60% of the human body’s weight can be attributed to water, which may help to explain why overall health, mental health, and hydration are so closely connected.1 In fact, emerging research has indicated that even mild dehydration can have an adverse effect on:2,3
- Memory
- Mood
- Energy levels
- Anxiety
- Ability to think clearly
It doesn’t matter if a person is dehydrated from spending 40 minutes on a treadmill or sitting at a desk; the adverse results remained the same, highlighting the importance of staying properly hydrated at all times and not just during exercise or exertion.3
Impact of Dehydration on Mood and Emotional Balance
Have you ever noticed that you get cranky when you’re thirsty? When you don’t drink enough water, your cortisol level increases. Cortisol is the stress hormone responsible for your “fight or flight” reaction, and too much of it can exacerbate any existing feelings of stress and anxiety. An increase in this sensation, and a decrease of feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin (also due to dehydration), can be a recipe for disaster if you’re already feeling on edge.1
Dehydration and mood function like a teeter totter; as your water intake goes down, your stress levels go up, which is why it can be hard to take care of yourself when you’re feeling anxious or depressed. If you’re already feeling low, your executive functioning skills may be impacted, which makes you less likely to regularly drink water, leading to a vicious cycle of feeling off and not getting the hydration you need.
Hydration’s Role in Mental Health
An increase in the stress hormone cortisol can also cause you to experience physical symptoms of anxiety, even if you aren’t feeling particularly anxious at the time:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Sweating
- Muscle tension
- Rapid breathing
These physical symptoms, paired with other physical symptoms of dehydration like fatigue and headaches, can make you feel downright uncomfortable. And when your body doesn’t feel its best, your mood is likely to follow suit.1
Role of Electrolytes
If you’re not drinking enough water, you’re probably not getting the electrolytes you need. When these vital minerals are thrown out of balance, your brain doesn’t work as well as it ought to, affecting a wide range of processes like:1
- Memory
- Attention span
- Executive functioning skills
- Use and understanding of language
If you’re already in a bad mood, the brain fog that results from a lack of electrolytes is not going to improve it. Instead, you’re more likely to be in a worse mood because your brain isn’t functioning as well as you’d expect it to. Brain fog is often temporary, but it can cloud your mind and make it difficult to perform routine tasks. One study indicated that some participants perceived certain tasks to be more difficult while dehydrated, even though their cognitive abilities weren’t affected.3
Hydration and Sleep
Most people don’t function well without a full night’s sleep, so it may not come as a surprise that dehydration can contribute to poor sleep. When you go to bed without drinking enough water, you increase your risk of experiencing symptoms of dehydration that make it hard to fall asleep:4
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
- Dry mouth
- Feelings of thirst
- Dysregulated body temperature
Going to bed dehydrated may result in an unpleasant feedback loop where dehydration causes you to sleep poorly, which further intensifies dehydration when you’re awake. Imagine the effect that consistently not getting enough sleep would have on your emotional balance and mood.
Drinking Water and Emotional Balance
Mild dehydration can lead to difficulty with some mental tasks, especially in the realms of working memory, which is related to adverse changes in mood, tension, and anxiety.3
However, research has indicated that there is a link between proper hydration and cognitive function.5 Brain function improves when people drink enough water; When a person is properly hydrated, they are more accurate during complex tasks, have quicker reaction times, and have better attention spans.5
What’s more, there’s a positive link between drinking water and self-reported mood. In one study, participants reported feeling more alert and calmer after drinking water.5 When you’re dehydrated, you can feel cranky, groggy, and lacking in energy. But after a glass or two of water – especially one containing electrolytes – you “perk up” and start to feel more alert. Electronically charged minerals—electrolytes—help your brain and body to function at their best, improving cognitive function almost immediately!
So, in short, staying hydrated can help improve your mood, help you sleep better, and assist with cognitive function.
Hydration Tips for Mental Health
If you aren’t already in the habit of drinking a lot of water throughout the day, whether you’re being physically active or not, it can be hard to start. Try these strategies to maintain optimal hydration and remember that you’re helping to fuel your body, help your brain, and are practicing self-care.
Frontload
When you wake up in the morning, drink a big glass of water right away. This simple act can improve your mood and will improve your mental functioning throughout the day!
Habit stack
It can be hard to start a new habit, especially if you don’t know if you’ll be able to commit to it. Try linking hydration to an existing habit to help make this healthy behavior more automatic.
Stay ready
Everyone seems to have a water bottle with them at all times; it might be a good idea for you to join the ranks. If you’re carrying it, you’re more likely to use it, which means you’re more likely to stay hydrated!
Change your diet
A certain percentage of our fluid intake comes from the food we eat, so eating healthy snacks with a high water content, like grapes or cucumbers, is a good idea.
Focus on electrolytes
Electrolytes are critical to proper bodily function, they help your body make the most of the water you drink. By replenishing your electrolytes during the day, you can help maintain hydration levels.
So, Can Hydration Make You Happier?
Yes, staying hydrated can improve your mood, energy levels, physical health, mental health, and thinking abilities. However, sipping water isn’t a one-stop shop to happiness. Increasing the amount of water you drink each day is an exercise in self-care and a great first step to improving your mental and physical health!
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1 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dehydration-and-affect-on-mental-health
3 https://today.uconn.edu/2012/02/even-mild-dehydration-can-alter-mood/#
4 https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/hydration-and-sleep
