I have always loved water, ever since I was a child. I would spend far too long washing my hands in the bathroom, watching the water run over my hands, enjoying the sound and the way it splashed off the surface of the sink. As an adult, I have amassed enough wonderful experiences with water to understand more fully its incredible properties and the ways it can enhance our lives.  

1. Hydration 

Most obviously I think, I need to address hydration. We need to regularly drink water and without it, our bodies would be in serious trouble in a short space of time. Muscles hold more water than fat. When our bodies are in need of water, we generally feel thirsty. In the UK, we generally have access to tap water in our homes and communities. 

So why am I regularly dehydrated? I often ignore thirst signals and tell myself all sorts of things to get out of drinking water. I will think I am ‘too busy’ to drink water if I’m in the middle of something at work or looking after my toddler. This is clearly not true but it’s what I seem to be telling myself.

Unless I have mental space, I also can’t easily differentiate between hunger and thirst. I will be thirsty but mistake this for hunger. I also think I sometimes don’t find water satisfying. I tell myself I have had water in my tea or coffee (even though these can be dehydrating!) and my food. 

In light of these excuses, I have recently been trying to listen to my thirst signals. I am attempting to drink more water and make it nice like ensuring the temperature is right and adding squeezed lemon. I have been having hot drinks (which I want to cover in another post on caffeine). I am trying to routinely drink water whenever I am near a water source! I am mindful of eating salty foods and ensure I drink as much water as possible when I do. I am thoroughly enjoying watery foods like cucumber (and other gourds), watermelon and spinach! I need to carry a water bottle everywhere but I have not yet achieved this level of organisation post-baby (there are a few in the cupboard I just never get round to it!). 

2. Cleansing

The next biggie is cleaning! Cleaning myself mainly but also my house! Showers and baths are so pleasant. Apart from just being clean afterwards I find them excellent for thinking, singing, pampering, relaxing and generally just taking a moment for myself. 

One thing I have noticed during my routine is that very hot showers seem to make my skin very dry so I’ve been trying to keep showers at a reasonable temperature. I’m also experimenting with cold bursts at the end of a shower. The theory behind this is a phenomenon called hormesis. Hormesis is a biological mechanism where low-dose, short-term, or intermittent exposure to stressors (e.g., exercise, fasting, cold/heat, mild toxins) induces an adaptive, protective response, while high doses are detrimental. It strengthens cells and increases resilience, supporting improved longevity and health span. Will I continue with this experimentation? Remains to be seen. It’s a little unpleasant! 

3. Recreation

Being in water is so much fun! I love swimming (especially at the seaside!) and watersports. As a child I would go on Girls’ brigade camp and we would go jetty jumping, canoeing, kayaking and banana boating. In adulthood I tried surfing and loved it. Water is fun. As my child grows up, I’m so excited to continue taking him swimming and to splash pools. I’m considering getting a paddling pool for the garden on hot summer days and hope to let him play with the hosepipe when we’re watering the plants in our garden! I think water fountains and features also fall into this category – every time I see them in public places I feel a sense of awe and peace. 

Writing all of this, I have in the back of my mind a few concerns. First is water quality and cleanliness and another is water conservation and scarcity. Important considerations for all three aspects of regular water use I have mentioned. All the more reason to be grateful for the water we have access to and to ensure it is appropriately managed and distributed. 

More abstractly, I also consider water to be associated with movement. It is most beautiful when it is flowing in movement, under a tap, in the ocean or river and hydrating our muscles, priming them for movement and in our blood, washing away things we don’t need anymore. Stagnant water always needs addressing!

Going forward I would like to be grateful for and mindful of the water we use for hydration, cleansing and recreation. I think I need to hydrate more and find more opportunities to swim and find the fun in water again!