Finding Your Water

One of water’s super powers is the ability to alter our state of mind. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, our world — with its over-stimulation and over-connectedness – was causing stress and anxiety for countless people, all of which results in what author Wallace “J” Nichols calls “red mind.” Left unchecked, the gnawing stress of red mind can easily lead to “gray mind,” the state of consciousness marked by depression, confusion, hopelessness and worse.

While Nichols’ colorful mental lexicon may be new to many people, we all know exactly what he means. Now that we are living with a global pandemic – with restrictions in our daily lives, inability to see or be with those we love, fears about our health, worries about finances — red mind has advanced to a much greater and even more dire new level.

What is the best tool in our toolkit for avoiding red mind, for combating the toxic suffering that goes with it? The answer is simple, “Finding our water!” says Nichols. Water brings about “blue mind,” a calm, collective, collaborative state of mind that has been named the Top Wellness Trend for 2020 by Condé Nast. Over the past ten years – and especially in the past five when J wrote and released his book – research showing the health benefits of water has exploded, which is great for us who live and work in water’s realm.

Nichols categorizes water in three ways: wild, domesticated and virtual. It’s pretty easy to understand wild waters as they cover 5/8ths of our planet in the form of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, ponds, swamps and reservoirs, as well as rain, snow, ice and fog. Domesticated waters are dominated by our industry’s products including pools, spas, hot tubs and fountains, along with hygienic waters of bathtubs, showers, sinks, and yes, toilets. Virtual water covers other ways in which water is interpreted or imagined; be it through art, music, videos, soundtracks, or VR experiences.

“Getting people near, in, on and under water” as Nichols urges, helps restore balance to our lives, calms nerves, lowers pulse rates, and decreases stress, turning our minds from gray all the way to blue. That means working with local officials to open community pools and enabling residential pools to be opened, serviced and built – all those specific actions are essential to increasing access to the life-saving and life-giving aspects of water.

As we settle into a “new normal” those with means will be doing all they can to maximize their personal space, which is good for us! Athletes who are unable to go to the neighborhood gym or even to parks and beaches are learning to adapt their backyard pools for training. I believe, we need to follow that trend and bring those epiphanies and experiences to our prospects to further encourage their backyard investment, and to our customers to further their utility and enjoyment of the water we deliver.

Over the next several months, this column will be dedicated to the many ways in which blue mind science is being put into action to help the human condition. All of this will broaden our understanding, change our language and better prepare us for bringing water, in its many forms, to people who need it most.