In an era marked by escalating climate change, eco-anxiety has become an everyday reality for many. Among its various forms, “water anxiety” stands out as a legitimate concern, rooted in the all-too-real fears surrounding water quality and availability. This distress is more than personal — it reflects a broader societal apprehension about our changing environment. Acknowledging and normalizing these feelings is paramount for maintaining your mental well-being.
What is Environmental Water Anxiety?
While many may have anxiety often resulting from the effects of climate change, environmental water anxiety is a specific form of eco-anxiety that centers on profound concerns about the safety and availability of water beyond a fear of swimming or taking a bath. It includes two primary facets — anxiety over water quality and overall water scarcity.
On the one hand, water quality concerns relate to worries about contaminants, such as pollution and chemicals, that may exist in your drinking water. On the other hand, anxiety about water scarcity stems from concerns caused by droughts and other shortages, which can threaten your access to this vital resource.
The media features constant news cycles highlighting global water crises, which can only exacerbate uneasy feelings, making them seem urgent and pervasive. This relentless exposure can intensify worries, leading to a heightened state of distress regarding your water sources and their reliability, which can result in water anxiety becoming a concern for many individuals.
The Link Between Water Insecurity and Mental Health
Water is fundamental to life, making its safety and availability crucial for your continual well-being. When faced with threats to your water supply — such as contamination or scarcity — it would only be natural for you to experience primal fears and a sense of lost control. This destabilizing connection between water insecurity and mental health is profound. Uncertainty about such a vital resource can lead to anxiety and stress, prompting a feeling of helplessness.
As a typical response to this fear, you might turn away from tap water and seek solace in bottled water, which is a logical choice for your continued peace of mind. The bottled water industry thrives on the promise of purity, achieved through sophisticated technologies like reverse osmosis (RO) and vapor compression distillation. These processes effectively remove contaminants to provide cleaner drinking options.
Water Purification and Why Water is Safe
Many different types of water go into bottles for sale in retailers, gyms and other commercial venues. What guarantees the safety of the bottled water you drink? Hopefully, this information on bottled water products will ease your mind, relieving many anxieties before you take your next sip:
- Artesian water: This water is groundwater that flows naturally to the surface from an underground source and is collected at the spring or through a sterile borehole. It may undergo RO, which removes minerals.
- Mineral water: Containing many minerals, this water originates from a protected underground source. Brands often use RO, which strips minerals to further purify the water before adding others back to meet mineral water standards.
- Spring water: As its name suggests, spring water flows directly from a spring or a sterile borehole, with no further treatment before bottling.
- Sparkling water: This water is essentially spring water that contains dissolved carbon dioxide, naturally carbonating it. Some commercial carbonated waters use RO on municipally sourced water to remove any impurities before adding carbon dioxide.
- Purified water: Municipally sourced, purified water undergoes stringent RO to eliminate contaminants like lead, pesticides, fluorides and heavy metals for a clean and purer result. Also used, vapor compression distillation boils inorganic pollutants out of water before condensing it back to liquid form in a separate, unblemished container.
Each type of bottled water has its own benefits for consumption, but only purified water almost always uses RO, distillation or other effective water purification methods. Therefore, pay attention to the labels of your bottled water products.
In fact, purified bottled water first undergoes municipal purification methods that remove initial impurities. Thereafter, the commercial brands utilize RO and often vapor compression distillation in distilled water products to remove any remaining potentially-hazardous inorganic minerals.
However, bottled water is not the only way to ensure you’re drinking purified, clean water. Commercially available pitcher and bottle filters for tap water have high efficiency rates for removing any remaining contaminants in tap water, proving its safety for drinking. Using reusable bottles with purified, filtered water ensures your drinking water is safe without the need for excess plastic waste.
How to Cope With and Ease Environmental Water Anxiety
Environmental water anxiety is becoming increasingly common as the effects of climate change become more apparent. Fortunately, there are effective strategies to help you manage your feelings. If you’re concerned about the state of global water, here are some actionable steps to reclaim your peace of mind and regain agency.
Practice Informed Awareness
Combat your anxiety about water safety by prioritizing balanced information from reliable, non-sensationalist sources. Inundation with fear-based media only amplifies feelings of helplessness — setting your boundaries is necessary. Set aside specific times for news consumption and seek out educational content that provides constructive insights about water issues. When you feel overwhelmed, take breaks from distressing news altogether to regain a sense of control.
Reclaim Control Through Small, Personal Actions
Empower yourself with concrete actions at home. Invest in a high-quality water filter that assures a cleaner supply. Focus on reducing your household water consumption by practicing mindful usage, like fixing leaks and taking shorter showers. Actively choosing reusable bottles can also significantly mitigate plastic waste and foster a sense of personal responsibility and a proactive approach in combating environmental issues.
Use Mindfulness to Manage Anxious Thoughts
Mindfulness techniques can ground you when anxious thoughts arise. Acknowledge the thoughts and feelings you have without judgment and recognize that it’s okay to harbor concerns. Grounding exercises, such as the cool sensation of water on your hands, can help you return to the present moment and alleviate any overwhelming emotions.
Find Strength in Community
Anxiety can often be isolating, so connecting with others can turn your individual worries into positive collective action. Join local or online conservation groups or participate in community cleanup projects. Engaging with like-minded individuals will foster a sense of belonging and transform your anxiety into meaningful contributions toward change.
Shift Focus to Your Circle of Influence
Finally, embrace the power of focusing on the things you can change rather than those you cannot. Accept that while global policies may seem beyond your reach, your personal choices and actions matter. Concentrate on proactively impacting your local environment, such as advocating for community initiatives, and realize there are many others around the world doing the same in their communities. This powerful reframe can drastically ease anxiety and promote a positive and committed stance.
From Frustration to Solutions — Navigating Environmental Water Concerns
Feeling anxious or concerned about environmental water issues is natural — it reflects your empathy and awareness of the world around you. By acknowledging these feelings, you can channel this energy into positive action. Remember, every small step taken contributes to a healthier environment and enforces a sense of control. Whether you’re subject to water anxiety or not, you always have the power to shape your sustainable attitudes and make a meaningful difference.
This is a collaborative post supporting our Peace In Peace Out initiative.