Life Lessons from the Playground - Drink Lots of Water

Another Life Lesson coming your way:

Drink lots of water
I learned this from a continuing ed class – kids get to playing, enjoying themselves, forget to drink, and it causes chemical imbalances in the body, all the way to the brain level. They act out not (only) because they’re little terrors, but something is going on. When an incident happens or is starting to escalate, the first thing we did was make them drink water. Oh my word, the difference in behavior when they were re-hydrated was amazing!

People, the human body is more than 50% water. When things are going downhill, re-hydrate.

My friend, Emma (coach and author), has wonderful insights on this:

Water is an essential component of a healthy mind and body and without it, we don’t “human” well. Our brain is 75% water; our lungs are 83% water; our blood is 90% water; and our skin is 64% water. Every single cell in our body requires water to function. Are you drinking enough?

Drinking plenty of water is one of my ten daily HAPPYIST habits for good reason – I find that I am much happier when I am healthy, and I am much healthier when I am happy. Our happiness and health levels are closely interlinked, and drinking water is one of the easiest (not to mention cheapest) ways to boost our mood and health. It is the simplest self-help tip I can offer my coaching clients because the benefits are endless: it can prevent headaches; regulate body temperature; lower blood pressure; lubricate joints; reduce fatigue; and decrease the risk of some diseases. Water works wonders!

Just like the kids on the playground who act out when they are dehydrated, we adults need water to replenish our energy, elevate our mood and perform at our best. And yet too many of us are drinking too little water. As a society, we are overwhelmed with thirst quenching options which tempt us away from the simplicity of water with their color, sweetness, and clever branding, when good old-fashioned water is all most of us really need to properly hydrate.

There are many different expert opinions on the “right” amount of water we should drink. Some very brilliant people believe that 8 cups each day is necessary, while other equally brilliant people believe that half your body weight is necessary. My personal goal is to drink around one gallon of water per day, which may seem like a huge amount. But just like any other good (or bad) habit – it becomes natural and normal over time. I drink constantly. I also pee constantly (much to my husband’s annoyance – I can’t go anywhere without making a quick trip to the bathroom).

I drink my first 16 ounces within the first 30 minutes of my day to flush out my organs and wake up my brain so that I’m ready to take on the world. I really focus on this first serving of water and I take the time to visualize the benefits my body is receiving as I swallow. This daily ritual is almost meditative for me as I imagine my organs welcoming the water and starting their engines for the hours of work ahead of them. Meditation is another daily HAPPYIST habit, so this action is win-win for me.

I drink most of my water early in the day and I slow down towards the afternoon. This ensures I will sleep well, without having to get up multiple times during the night. Sleep is another HAPPYIST habit, so I am careful not to allow one habit to affect another. Finally, I end my day with a small serving of water to, once more, flush out my organs so they are cleansed of any toxins from the day and ready for rest and repair mode overnight.

So, if you find yourself feeling sluggish, grouchy, or just generally run down, consider increasing your water intake and see if this helps you feel any better. Your body will thank you – all the way from the tips of your toes to the ends of your hair – because the trillions of cells that help you “human” are thirsty for a tall glass of water.

Here’s a bonus fact about water: according to World Vision, the average distance someone in a developing country must walk to get water is 3.7 miles, and that water is often unsafe for drinking. If you’re reading this, you can mostly likely walk just a few steps to get the benefit of the clean water that
our bodies so desperately need. This may be the best reason of all to drink more water – simply because we can.