One of the insidious aspects of depression is that you don’t have the energy or motivation to do the most basic things. Eating, sleeping and exercise all suffer. This means that the traditional first steps when you’re not feeling great sometimes fall by the wayside, including the simplest act of all: having a glass of water.
Hydration is one of the most fundamental ingredients to human health. It’s also one of the easiest to forget. If you’re busy or distracted, or you’re trapped in an inescapable dark mood, it’s likely to be one of the first things to be neglected.
When your head starts aching and you can’t concentrate, it may seem like part of your depression. When your limbs feel heavy and fatigued, you might just take it as inevitable. Sometimes these are the kinds of symptoms that need a trip to the doctor to cure. Other times, you may just be thirsty.
Dehydration hits a lot more quickly than malnutrition or sleep deprivation. It’s something we have to be constantly aware of every single day. Adequate hydration is something that can take an active effort to maintain, and effort isn’t an easy thing for a depressed person, so the depression becomes worse and remembering to drink becomes even less likely.
Research into how dehydration impacts mood and cognition isn’t as comprehensive as that on the physical effects (https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/effects-of-hydration-status-on-cognitive-performance-and-mood/1210B6BE585E03C71A299C52B51B22F7). It’s a more recent topic of interest. However, we do know that there is a link between mood and water consumption, and we need to be aware of that.
When you notice you’re feeling bad, whether it’s physically or mentally, you shouldn’t jump to the worst possible scenario. You should check in with yourself first. Have you been taking care of your basic needs? Before you try more dramatic interventions, take the time to hydrate yourself, as well as tending to those other essentials like food and sleep. You’ll be amazed at the difference it can make.
That doesn’t mean that drinking enough water is a magical cure for depression. Human mood and mental health are more complicated than that. What hydration can do is give you your best chance and maybe sharpen your brain enough to tackle some of the other challenges you may have to face. If something is stopping you from hydrating, that’s the first problem to address.
