Water, Water All Around

Water, Water, All Around

In the last post, we discussed the importance of maintaining good nutrition after becoming a widow. Today, we want to take a look at the second important basic when it comes to our wellness and self-care: hydration. Many of the health issues we experience can be directly traced to the fact that we don’t drink enough water. Did you know that nearly 75% of your body consists of water? Is it any wonder that we need water to function properly? A research study at the University of Connecticut found that even a 1.5 % decrease in your body’s water volume can substantially impact mood, energy levels, and cognitive abilities. We certainly don’t need any more of that going on when we’re already dealing with unstable emotions, exhaustion, and widow fog!

Let’s talk for a moment about why drinking water is so important when you’re grieving a significant loss.

1.)   Physical Health: Being properly hydrated contributes to supporting bodily functions like digestion, circulation, and temperature regulation. Dehydration can lead to headaches, fatigue, and dizziness, exacerbating the emotional and physical toll of grief. We might begin to notice things like memory issues, poor concentration, physical weakness, and more issues with balance and falling. Try drinking more water to lessen these symptoms – it’s worth a try!

2.)   Energy Levels: Staying hydrated helps maintain energy levels, allowing us to cope with the demands of the grieving process and the emotional stress of loss. Grief itself is exhausting and takes a toll on our energy stores. Let’s not make it worse by allowing ourselves to get dehydrated!

3.)  Cognitive Function: Dehydration can impair cognitive function, making it difficult to concentrate and make decisions. Drinking water helps keep the mind clear and focused, which is vital during the grieving process. Looking for a way to help with widow fog? Drink water!

4.)   Mood Regulation: Staying hydrated can stabilize mood, making it easier to manage emotional fluctuations during the grieving process. We already know that our emotions can be all over the place! Drinking water can provide a calming pause and help regain emotional balance. Medical experts say that becoming dehydrated can worsen depression and anxiety, two common side effects of grief. Dehydration and depression are interconnected in several ways, with chronic dehydration being a potential symptom of depression.

5.)   Sleep Quality: Grief can disrupt sleep, and dehydration can worsen sleep quality. Staying hydrated can help ensure restful sleep during this challenging time.

When our situation seems overwhelming, and we already have trouble remembering everything that we need to take care of, it’s no wonder that we forget something as simple as eating or drinking. We often think we’re consuming much more than we actually are. I remember caring for my Mom after a surgery and reminding her that she needed to be taking in more fluids. Her response was, “I’m drinking all the time!” In actuality, she had a juice glass of water sitting by her chair, and she probably consumed about 4 ounces all day long! The best way to monitor this is to just write it down! You may be surprised at how little you are drinking!

You may be asking, “How much water do I need to drink anyway?” Most fitness coaches will suggest that you should get half your body weight in ounces of water every day. So, for instance, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should drink approximately 70 ounces of water. That’s over two quarts of water every day! At first glance, that seems close to impossible! But there are some ways we can gradually increase our intake. Consider these:

• Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go. This way you can drink whenever you think of it, even if you’re not particularly thirsty! Always keep one in the car. And, by the way, coffee is dehydrating, so don’t count it as your water intake!
• Keep track of your intake. Aim to take in optimum amounts every day, a minimum of half your body weight in ounces. There it is again! Half your body weight. Interestingly enough, drinking that much will actually help you with weight loss!
• Pace yourself to approach half of your recommended consumption by midday. You can always finish about an hour before you plan to sleep. This is probably a good idea if you don’t want to be up all night running to the bathroom!
• Consume water-rich foods. Include fruits and vegetables with high water content, such as watermelon, cucumbers, and oranges, in your diet.

Before we leave this topic, let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about water. Without going into great depth, we can say that the Scriptures are full of references to water. It symbolizes the Holy Spirit in many instances, and also suggests cleansing, purification, dedication, healing, and refreshing. The idea of refreshing is particularly interesting as it relates to grief. In the same way that it’s important to remember to drink physical water, it’s also important to remember to drink the water of life spiritually by spending time in the Scriptures and asking God to help heal our hearts and refresh our spirits. Consider this verse:

“But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:14

I leave you with this challenge: “Are you well-watered?” Both physically and spiritually? Make it your priority this week!

As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome here or you can email me at sheryl@freshhope.us. If you’re looking for a new purpose and a pathway to move ahead, please consider joining one of our Refocusing Widows groups, either in person or online. You can register at www.refocusingwidows.org/Groups. We look forward to meeting you!