Each week, ICBA’s Jordan Bateman reflects on what we’ve learned as we participate in ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program. This program is free for all ICBA members – check out icba.ca/wellness for details.
This month, ICBA Wellness looks at the link between mind and body, and how our physical health can impact our mental health.
We all know the physical benefits of drinking water. Humans, after all, are 60% water, and our blood is 90% water. Rehydrating is essential for our kidneys, improves our joints’ shock-absorbing ability, delivers oxygen throughout our body, and helps maintain our blood pressure. (Water does even more than that physically – click HERE if you’re curious.)
But did you know drinking water helps mental health too? I didn’t. But our brains are 73% water and being properly hydrated helps it work better. A 2018 study found that adults who drink more water are at a lower risk of anxiety and depression than those who drank less water.
Another study found that people who reduced the amount of water they drank felt less calm and content.
There’s an old Slovakian proverb that sums it all up perfectly: “Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.”
Gotta run – all this water talk has me feeling thirsty!
ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program is helping more than 50 companies, and thousands of construction professionals, better understand mental health. The program is free for ICBA members — see icba.ca/wellness.