Healing Waters

     As a mental health counselor, one of the first things I ask my clients is, “Are you getting enough water?”  And when I mean enough, I don’t just mean are you drinking enough.  The healing benefits of water go way beyond the drinking glass.  But that’s where we begin. So… let’s start the discussion here with, “Are you drinking enough water?” 

Water on the Inside: Stay Hydrated

     According to fictional aliens in Star Trek, humans are “Ugly giant bags of mostly water… surrounded by a flexible container.” *  According to real humans, the human body is composed of an average of 60% water.  Our brains, heart and kidneys have the highest water content (approximately 73%-80%) which means that proper hydration is essential to ensure organ function. 

     As a mental health counselor, I can see in my clients the evidence that dehydration reduces a person’s ability to cope with life.  Even mild dehydration can impair focus, short-term memory, and alertness.  It can induce moodiness, anxiety and fatigue.  I encourage everyone to make it a point during the day to stay hydrated.  If you’re in the office, you’ll notice bottles of water as you walk in my door, ready for you.

     Being well hydrated is linked to better sleep quality, improvement in mood, focus, alertness, and higher energy levels.  Many people struggle with sleep, and water is an easy way to contribute a better night’s rest.  Have I sold you yet on its important benefits for daily living? 

     To help maintain fluid balance in your body, consider drinking water, but also milk, coconut water, or Pedialyte.  Set a timer on your phone to remind yourself to drink liquids, because if you’re busy like me, sometimes you can even forget to drink water.  Thirst means you’re on the path to dehydration. 

     There is something certain about having too much of a good thing.  Watch for signs of overhydration, a state that can lead to water intoxication and can actually be deadly.  Consult your doctor to discuss what is a healthy volume for your needs and what biomarkers to look for (such as the color of your urine) to determine overhydration.

Water on the Outside: Humidity, Mist and Rain

     Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are very fortunate to have an environment conducive to healing.  Right outside our front doors here in Western Washington, cool refreshing mist and humidity abound for most days during the year.  If you’re going to embrace all that Mother Nature provides for us, reconsider your relationship with the weather. 

     Moments outside provide us with a wonderful opportunity to regulate the nervous system.   Only 15 minutes outside is clinically proven to reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and stimulate our calming state to take over.

     Micro-droplets of mist on the skin provide a gentle, cooling input that helps to extinguish the heat of a shaky or angry emotional state.  It calms our sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and activates our parasympathetic nervous system (the rest and digest part).  The environment of rainy weather provides specific biological cues that induce this calming state.  Exposure to negative ions from falling rain and from inhaled mist are believed to increase our serotonin levels.  Serotonin helps alleviate stress, boosts mood, and improves daytime energy.

     When it rains, have you noticed an “earthy” scent?  There’s a word for that called petrichor.  It consists of oils and a molecule called geosmin.  Humans are very sensitive to this scent, which travels directly to the brain regions involved in memory and emotion.  This smell triggers a survival signal that manifests as immediate calm and nostalgia.

     The sound frequency that rain produces is rhythmic and steady.  It’s referred to as “pink noise.”  White noise contains all audible frequencies at equal intensities, but pink noise filters out the harsher high-pitched frequencies. This pink noise creates a deeper, “bassier” sound that is less abrasive to human ears.  The specific frequency pattern is found throughout nature, including in heartbeats, neural activity and wind.  Because pink noise mimics our own internal biological rhythms, the brain finds it easier to process, reducing the cognitive load. 

     Our bodies respond to the sound of rain by producing alpha waves (associated with relaxed wakefulness) and theta waves (associated with deep relaxation and early sleep).  Activity in the fear center of the brain (amygdala) and the limbic system decrease when listening to rain.  What does this boil down to?  Our minds experience peace and calm.

     Additionally, there’s an acoustic blanketing that the pink noise creates which helps muffle out the sounds of grating or triggering noises, like doors slamming and dogs barking.  It reduces the acoustic contrast which decreases the need to be on high alert.  This helps reduce the need for the brain to be on alert mode and remain in a more peaceful state.

     The predictability of the droplets signals to the amygdala that there’s no immediate threat, allowing the nervous system to ease out of high alert mode.  Many people like to listen to the sound of rain to help them fall asleep at night and there’s an instinctual reason for that.

     Rain is a natural air purifier.  If you’re like many people who suffer from dust, pollen or air pollutants, a good rain helps scrub the air cleaner providing more oxygen enrichd which supports better respiratory function.

     Water is also a soft environment, unlike the hard world of deadlines and loss.  Watching or listening to fractals like rain reduce a person’s cognitive load.  Brains are hardwired to process natural patterns easily.  Think about the walk outside: The songs of the birds outside in the rain, the patterns on the fronds of the ferns, the fire you sit next to when you come back inside – they all provide a respite for your brain.  The fire place or camp fire experience primally signals to our brain a sense of warmth and protection, while the rain signals a break from labor and a replenishment of resources.  Attention restoration theory says that the listening to and watching rain (or the fireplace flames) gives the mind a break from the heavy lifting required by screens and daily tasks.  This break is a recovery time, watching things that are interesting yet require no effort.  Brain rest is especially important for those negotiating loss, anxiety or trauma.

     Weather it’s taking a few minutes to stand on your covered porch and breath in the fresh, saturated air or taking a little bit longer to walk outside, take advantage of the healing properties of mist and rain. 

Water All Around: Swimming and Spectating

     "Blue Space" research shows that being near water (lakes, oceans, or even a local mist) triggers a spontaneous reduction in heart rate and blood pressure.  Coastal environments support emotional regulation and stress recovery more effectively than urban or green spaces.  Just as with rain, crashing waves release negative ions, increasing serotonin levels which help alleviate depression, relieve stress and boost daytime energy. 

     The rhythmic sound and sight of the ocean active the human parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers heart rate and blood pressure while reducing cortisol.  Just as with the sound of rain, looking out at the horizon shifts the brain waves into alpha frequencies.  This is associated with relaxed wakefulness and a decrease in rumination. 

     The peaceful ocean waves produce pink noise, provide soft fascination and visual awe.  Visual awe has been shown to decrease self-focused worry and increase prosocial behaviors such as empathy and generosity.

      The ocean provides a safe haven for reflection and processing difficult emotions.  Rhythmic walking along the shore provides bilateral stimulation forcing both hemispheres of the brain to communicate.  This helps the brain process trauma and stress, filing away stressful thoughts rather than letting them loop.  By walking on the beach, there’s both a tactile and a visual layer that the mind taps into for healing. Washington state has 157 miles of Pacific coastline and 3026 mile shoreline just waiting for you to partake.

Weightlessness of Swimming: Somatic Release

     A person favorite of mine is swimming.  The gentle pressure of water around the body acts like a weighted blanket, providing proprioceptive input.  This deep pressure activates our parasympathetic nervous system that tells the brain it is safe and supported.

     Swimming or floating allows for a temporary suspension of gravity. It is a literal and metaphorical shedding of weight.  The forced rhythmic breathing of swimming (inhale, stroke, exhale) is a natural form of Vagus Nerve stimulation which is a very organic way of inducing a calm.

     Since water is 800 times denser than air, moving through water by doing laps requires massive energy.  Because your body must work hard to maintain its core temperature in cooler water, once you get out and warm up, the relaxation response often triggers sleepiness.  Plus, it’s a great no-impact workout!

Washing Stress Away

     Showering and bathing provide us with a ritual by sloughing off the past of a stressful day or providing us with a reset.  Allowing oneself cry in the shower until the hot water runs out can be a therapeutic and sacred mental space.  The water will carry away what the mind can no longer hold.  Adding calming scents to your bath or shower, such as sprigs of eucalyptus to the shower or lavender bath salts to promote relaxation. 

If You’re In To This Sort of Thing: Try The Mammalian Dive Reflex

     If you’re braver than me, you can also tap into the mammalian dive reflex (MDR) to help reset your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).  This is an automatic primitive survival response found in all mammals including humans.  When the face is submerged in cold water, our survival goal is to preserve life by conserving oxygen and protecting the heart and brain during water immersion. 

     When cold water touches the area around your eyes and nose, it stimulates the trigeminal never.  This signal travels to the brain which immediately activates the vagus nerve, the primary driver of your PNS.  It causes bradycardia.  Your heart rated slows down to reduce oxygen consumption.  The blood vessels in your limbs constrict, diverting blood towards your brain and heart, prioritized for survival.  Because it overrides the fight or flight response, MDR can physically force your body to calm down even if your mind is still racing.  This is highly effective for quickly lowering intense anger, panic or anxiety in under 30 seconds. 

 *Writer’s note: For the record, I don’t care for Star Trek but I know people who do and they like to quote this bit, hence the reference.

Gera McGuire, MA, NCC, LMHC, is a specialized mental health counselor serving the Maple Valley and Enumclaw Plateau communities, as well as clients throughout Washington and Montana via telehealth. With advanced clinical training from the Center for Prolonged Grief at Columbia University, she provides evidence-based support for those navigating anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and the complexities of 'stuck' grief after a loss.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for therapy.  It is not medical advice or a guide to diagnose any mental health conditions.  Consult your primary care physician about the sue of water for your body's specific needs.

If you would like to discuss your wellness in counseling, please contact Gera to set up an appointment.