Will water help reduce your anxiety?
Oct 15, 2021 9:21 pm
Happy Friday,
Anxiety is a normal part of life with many contributing factors. No one thing is a cure all ... by some evidence suggests that preventing dehydration can help. More below.
And if you want some 1 on 1 assistance, reply to this e-mail or get in contact with me here.
And scroll down to my interview with Melia as we discuss athletes and mental health. I've enjoyed doing these podcasts recently and I hope you find these in-depth discussions valuable.
Enjoy the weekend,
Dr. Eddie
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Water Reduces Anxiety
Got performance anxiety? Drinking more water can help.
Dehydration is rarely the sole cause of anxiety, but it does share symptoms of anxiety and can make anxiety worse.
Specifically:
- Increased heart rate
- Feeling faint and light-headed
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Muscle fatigue
- Nausea
Dehydration increases production of cortisol, the stress hormone, increasing symptoms of anxiety.
When the body is dehydrated, hormones are unable to reach their destined locations because of poor blood flow. Muscles may tense up. Your brain may experience weakness or changes as a result of water loss. Increased anxiety and decreased sport performance can result.
Caffeine, sugary drinks and alcohol cause dehydration because it takes the body even more water to remove it from your body. It can take your body up to 3 times the amount of water to process that drink! If you don’t give your body the amount of water it needs to flush it out of your system, it will take it from your bones, muscles, and most importantly your brain!
SO WHAT CAN I DO?
Replacing soda, tea and coffee with water is a good start. Drink water at every meal instead of other beverages.
A simple solution to rebalance this deficit of fluids is to drink eight glasses of fresh water a day.
Keep water close. Taking your own water bottle with you to work, to the gym, or on errands is a steady reminder to drink up.
Use apps and alarms to remind yourself to drink water.
Set hydration goals throughout the day (at mealtimes?), then check your hydration benchmarks. Waiting until the end of the day to evaluate your intake may not leave enough time to correct a water imbalance.
Finish early. Chugging a ton of water before bed will result in trips to the bathroom that will disrupt your sleep and recovery (and you already know sleep is important to reduce anxiety).
**Speaking of sleep ... you can catch the Sleep Your Way to the Top workshop on demand HERE. Ideal for people who want to feel less overwhelmed, go longer and harder in workouts, eliminate “dumb mistakes”, stop reacting emotionally and start acting intentionally.
Better sleep for better performance.
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Mental Health in Sport
From "Mel Talks Feelings":
"A great conversation with @sportsdreddie discussing the mental health challenges athletes face. Dr. O'Connor provided valuable tips and advice for athletes who suffer from performance anxiety and low self-esteem."
Follow Dr. Eddie on Instagram HERE and don't miss an episode of "Mental Toughness in 60 Seconds." #MTin60sec
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Dr. Eddie O’Connor
