• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Happy Mrs. Jones

Experiments In Creating Happiness While Battling Depression

  • Start Here!
  • Depression FAQ
  • About Me
  • Mind
    • Not My Monkeys – Creating Boundaries That Work
    • Mindfulness 101: Five Tips to Get You Started
    • 5 Ways to Prevent a Depressive Episode
  • Body
    • The Link Between Dehydration & Depression
    • The Milkshake Meltdown – Is Dairy Causing Your Depression?
  • Soul
    • 6 Ways To Keep Depression From Destroying Your Marriage
    • Is Social Media Making You Sick?
    • The Art of Leaning In
  • Creative Non-fiction
    • It’s No Problem {Creative Non-Fiction}
    • Rising To The Surface {creative non-fiction}
    • A Game for a Life {creative non-fiction}
    • The Only Way Is Through {creative non-fiction}
    • A Gun Like This One {creative non-fiction}

The Link Between Dehydration & Depression

January 25, 2019 by thehappymrsjones 2 Comments

The Link Between Dehydration & Depression

Okay, I admit it.

I’m writing this blog post damn well knowing I don’t drink enough water.

Let’s look at this as a kick in the ass for both of us.

Right now my daily goal is about three litres but, to be honest, I get in about a litre unless I’m really pushing myself.

* grabs bottle of water and takes three huge gulps *


WHY DRINK MORE WATER?

The research is super clear about how beneficial water is in GENERAL, let alone how beneficial it is for the management of depression and anxiety.

This study in particular shows that drinking more plain water lowered anxiety and depression scores compared with those who drank less.

They states that “water facilitates signalling pathway and nutrients delivery to the brain, removes toxins and inflammatory markers and provides energy sources for (the) brain, and thereby improves brain function.”

That sounds important to me.

* starts chugging water *

As I looked into it some more, I found that two studies done by the University of Connecticut’s Human Performance Laboratory show that even mild dehydration can change your energy levels, your mood and your ability to think clearly.

The fucked up part (for me anyway), is that this dehydration affected women in this study even more than it affected men.

For me personally, that hit home.

I know both genders face massive pressures and challenges but, for me, I’m thinking periods that cause massive mental blows AND now this? UGH. That’s harsh, bro.

I’m not taking away from men with depression. Just let me feel momentarily sorry for myself, please and thank you.

* BRB quick bathroom break needed due to all the water chugging *

Okay, I’m back.


HOW MUCH WATER DO YOU NEED?

Traditionally, it’s always been said that you need eight glasses of water a day. That’s pretty subjective in my eyes.

One of those researchers in the studies from the University of Connecticut I mentioned above says that the average person needs two litres of water per day for optimum health.

If you’ve had a lot of trouble getting in enough water on the regular, I recommend starting with something a bit more manageable – maybe a litre a day and up it by 250 mls every day until you’re up to the recommended amount.

* Takes one quick sip of water * 

It’s pretty easy to tell if you’re hydrated enough. Basically it comes down to the colour of your tinkle (which is what I call urine because I think it sounds better to say, “I really need to tinkle” instead of “I could piss like a racehorse right about now”).

If your tinkle/urine/pee is a light yellowish almost clear colour, you’re sitting pretty. If it’s a dark yellow, we have a problem. The goal is to get your urine as light a colour as possible.

Side note, my husband wants me to remind you that your urine will naturally be a much darker colour first thing in the morning. That’s normal and no need to panic. Thanks Ryan!

Now don’t worry if it’s not completely clear the rest of the day either. That’s not the ultimate goal although it does feel pretty spectacular to get there.

The helpful thing about upping your water intake and having to monitor your urine colour is that you’ll get plenty of chances! YAY!

You’ll get going to the bathroom more times than you can count in the beginning. It’s actually pretty annoying but I promise your body will get used to it. You won’t be running to the bathroom every hour.

* Speaking of which…BRB *


HOW TO GET IN MORE WATER

This is the part of the post where I usually give you the tips I personally use to get the job done. In this case, however, I’m as much writing out what I SHOULD be doing as much as I am writing about what I AM doing.

I’m not perfect. Surprise!

Anyway, here are some tips for us both to get where we need to go:

Before I begin I just want to encourage you to use a water filter, reusable water cooler or, if that’s not possible, the largest bottles of water possible to minimize the use of single-use plastic products. Let’s not get ourselves healthy at the expense of the Earth. Plastic is shitty. 

Buy multiple reusable water bottles and fill up your needed water intake for the day. Put them in the fridge (or on the counter if you’re weird like me and prefer room temperature water), so that you can see exactly how much you need to drink and how much you’ve already had to drink.

Set a timer. I’m a big fan of the timer. Set an alarm to go off at the top of every hour to remind you to quickly take a few gulps of water. The best kind is one that just beeps twice so that you don’t have to put off and physically reset the alarm. You don’t want something that’s a nuisance. You just want a quick reminder. If you’re hearing impaired, a little alarm connected with a light is perfect.

If you cannot stand the taste of plain water (which I believe is something you just need to eventually get over), try adding in some lemons, limes or cucumber. If you’re super desperate, use some Crystal Light. I’m not a huge fan of the artificial sweeteners and the food colouring in them, but getting in the water is more important than avoiding that stuff overall.

Drink a glass of water before any meal. This actually helps you in more ways than one. It hydrates of course, but it also aids in your digestion AND helps you eat less. If you’re trying to drop a few pounds like me, every little bit helps.


Okay, I think we have enough reasons to drink more water and some tips to get the ball rolling.

I’m going to chug the rest of this water bottle. I suggest you join me!

Filed Under: Body

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Trina says

    February 18, 2019 at 3:14 am

    Thanks for all the tips! I definitely don’t drink enough water (judging by the tinkle test)… But the one tip that hit home that makes me really want to drink more is the part about water before a meal. If I can hydrate and it will help me lose weight – double whammy!!!

    Reply
  2. Gillian says

    February 18, 2019 at 3:31 am

    So I chuckled my way through this post… my grandma used to say “tinkle”… awww… and I am all about the room temp water! If you have a Fitbit (I don’t), I think it buzzes at you when you’ve been sitting too long… that could also be a reminder to take a few sips. Loved this! ?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Let’s Hang Out :)

Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Pinterest
Pinterest
fb-share-icon
Instagram
Follow by Email
RSS
Get new posts by email

More Posts You Might Like…

  • 5 Ways to Prevent a Depressive Episode
    In Mind
    January 29, 2019
  • 6 Ways To Keep Depression From Destroying Your Marriage
    In Soul
    February 21, 2019
  • A Gun Like This One {creative non-fiction}
    In Creative Non-fiction
    January 7, 2019
  • The Art of Leaning In
    In Soul
    January 30, 2019
  • It’s No Problem {Creative Non-Fiction}
    In Creative Non-fiction
    March 12, 2019

thehappymrsjones

🇨🇦 mental health + dogs + coffee ☕️
✍🏼 print & broadcast journalist
💍to @theinspiredmrjones
📌Loving & living in Flagstaff County

Happy, happy, happy birthday to the absolute love Happy, happy, happy birthday to the absolute love of my life! You are all the beautiful things life has to offer wrapped up in just one person. I love you with my whole heart and there isn't a day I don't feel grateful and lucky to be your wife. You are more than I ever even hoped to find. 

Your compassion, honesty, work ethic, integrity, talent, humour, and sense of adventure are incredible. More than anything, your drive to protect those that need protecting makes me so proud. You truly are a gift to the world.

Your 35th year is going to be a big one. You're only just getting warmed up and I can't wait to see where you go. 

One thing is for sure, I'll be right by your side cheering the loudest and helping the most to make sure all of your dreams come true.

Happy birthday, my love. Here's to many, many more years!!!
I know a couple of people who are having trouble v I know a couple of people who are having trouble verbalizing their emotions and who are struggling right now. That's ok. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Getting healthy and looking after yourself is the most important thing. 

I struggled for so long. I had a great support system but it was still hard as hell battling depression. I know that this pandemic has brought a lot of people back to a sad and dark place (myself included - every day is different). Don't hide there. Push those feelings into the light and ask for help. Give yourself a chance to have a happy life 💕 This won't last forever even if it feels like it might.

I once read that you don't have to feel hopeful about the future. Some days it's enough to just be curious. Please, if you're having thoughts of self-harm reach out to someone - anyone. You are valuable. There is hope for us all.
One year ago we released our first documentary. Th One year ago we released our first documentary. This trip was one of the toughest experiences of my life but it was also one of the best. I was lucky enough to fall in-love with my best friend along the way. 

So proud of you @theinspiredmrjones today and every day. You have improved and developed such an incredible amount since we started this journey five years ago. This work is amazing but your work NOW is even better. 

You continue to surprise me and I am SO excited for what's ahead. You are talented beyond what you realize and I am so grateful to have a creative partner that inspires, pushes and supports me like you do. The best is yet to come. That I know for sure.

Posted @withregram • @theinspiredmrjones It’s the one year anniversary of our documentary!!! Such a challenging project in so many ways but I couldn’t be prouder of what we made. 

#Repost @inspiredrisk with @get_repost
・・・
We can’t believe it’s already been one year since the release of our first feature-length documentary, The Unjust & Us. 

The response has been incredible and we’re still so proud of this project. If you haven’t seen it, make sure to check the link in our profile. 

#documentary #africa #elephant #poaching #antipoaching #adventure #contesa #cycling #biking #travel #southafrica #botswana #zambia #malawi #tanzania #kenya #cyclingadventure #film #movie #oneyearanniversary #theunjustandus #proud
This is exactly over us right now. I feel like 202 This is exactly over us right now. I feel like 2020 is just plain f*cking with us now 😳
Today we said goodbye to our Goofy. He was the kin Today we said goodbye to our Goofy. He was the kindest animal we have ever met and he brought so much happiness into our lives. 

As most of you know, we rescued him in Singapore almost three years ago and later brought him home to Canada. When we adopted him we knew he would come with a lot of old man problems. We knew we wouldn't have forever because of his bad heart (and numerous other ailments) but our goal was to save his life and make his last few years great ones. He gave us even more than we could give to him.

He had a lot of issues - bad heart, terrible ear infections, a torn paw, a testicular tumor and terrible teeth but he NEVER complained or snapped when he was hurting. He was always kind and gentle, somehow knowing we just wanted to help. Even at the end, he was the "bestest" boy on the planet. The downhill happened very quickly. He suddenly stopped eating and couldn't walk properly anymore. He was so lethargic and weak at the end that we couldn't see him suffer any longer. 

Today we went to the vet to put him to rest. I made the appointment yesterday and found out our amazing family vet @iberedvm was fully booked. We would have to say goodbye with another vet but we understood.

When we arrived we saw Ileana walk out of the clinic to greet us. She had moved her schedule around when she saw Goofy was in the appointment book so she could be with all of us. I burst into tears. It was one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me and it made everything so much easier. It feels so good when someone loves your pet like you do. It feels so comforting when they matter to someone else too.

We all sat around him on a grassy patch and said our goodbyes. Beesley was there too. He went so peacefully that there was no question it was his time. Afterward we just sat with him and cried.

Goodbye our sweet boy. Find Ellie, Austin & Asha at the rainbow bridge and wait for us. Thank you for your unconditional love. I am so glad you can finally be free ❤️
👉🏼 note to self 👈🏼 👉🏼 note to self 👈🏼
Some flowers from our garden (these ones were abou Some flowers from our garden (these ones were about to be killed by the lawnmower so I saved them).
Elijah McClain was a 23 year old who played violin Elijah McClain was a 23 year old who played violin for cats at the animal shelter on his lunch break. He was a good and kind person who was murdered by police who injected him with ketamine. No one deserves this - "good" or not. Read his words that were recorded. Hear them. Tell me you wouldn't burn down all the cities in the world if this was your child. LIE TO ME and say you'd protest with nothing but love.
About sums it up About sums it up
So much emotion 💕 So much emotion 💕
You're either on the right side of history or you' You're either on the right side of history or you're not. It's that simple. As a journalist and as someone who spent part of her youth growing up in Apartheid South Africa, I don't want to hear white rationalizations about what's been happening. If you're not angry, you're not paying attention. Thanks to @crystalbrownd for posting this.
IF YOU ARE NOT ANGRY, YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION IF YOU ARE NOT ANGRY, YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION.

Posted @withregram • @enews We 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 to be better than this moment. ❤️ (🎥: @etherundown)
💕 💕
Instagram post 17895694342520254 Instagram post 17895694342520254
Happily sleeping... Happily sleeping...
Follow on Instagram

Archives

  • December 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018

Copyright © 2021 · Wellness Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in