The Guardian Nigeria

Life comes from water and needs water… Prof. Wallace J Nichols

Very recognisable by some person is the calming effect of being around water. Water, since early times, has been attributed with transformational properties, ranging from spiritual cleansing to salvation and rebirth by various culture. Research studies have also shown that just living within sight of water is often correlated with a healthy outcome.

Below are reasons why you should tap into the therapeutic features of water.

Rest

With our everyday lives constantly bombarded with sensory stimuli, be it from the home or the office, our brains rarely get enough downtime which it needs. Being around water can give our sense the rest it needs from overstimulation.

Meditative state

Given that the brain or senses rest when being around water, it does not shut down completely. They keep working, but in a meditative state of calm awareness and attentiveness, allowing the brain to still yet focus while being relaxed.

Connection

True to no coincidence is the many life’s romantic moments taken place by the water. Water invokes the feeling of connection to something or someone and even oneself especially in moments when you start to doubt your belief in yourself. It allows you to put things in the right perspective.

Creativity

Our minds rarely get the chance to rest and wander freely resulting from always-busy and screen-saturated lives. You should, however. Because when you do, the mind goes into a default mode associated with the consolidation of memories, imagination, self-referential thought, insight and introspection. This way, you are able to put your thoughts together and make the most out of situations, thereby fostering creativity.

Physical and mental health

Benefits associated with water by a growing body of research has been identified, with the inclusion of low-stress levels, relief from mild anxiety, pain and depression, better sleep quality and improved mental clarity and focus.

Like nature, spending time surrounded by water with the idea of getting better is intuitive. So, feed that urge, take a walk to the beach, take a vacation to places where you can see water, it helps.