NEW YORK — Who would have thought the secret to happiness would be something as simple as drinking enough water? A new study finds that you’re three times more likely to feel “very happy” if you believe you drink enough water regularly.
The study asked participants about their water consumption on a daily basis and overall feelings of happiness. Data was pulled from a survey of 2,000 Americans commissioned by beverage company O. Vine.
While most doctors recommend drinking at least 64 ounces, or eight eight-ounce glasses, of water per day, the average study participant reported drinking only about five glasses per day. In fact, the average participant incorrectly said that five glasses was the daily doctor recommended amount.
Regardless of how much water each study participant was actually drinking each day, 67% of respondents who reported drinking “more than enough” water said they are “very happy.” Conversely, only 21% of those who said they “didn’t drink enough water” said they’re “very happy.”
So, it seems the real key to happiness is believing you are drinking enough water, even if it is technically a bit below doctors’ recommendations.
Still, the more water consumed on a day-to-day basis, the more likely participants were to be pleased with their lives. Participants who reported drinking 10 or more glasses of water per day were the most likely to call themselves happy. Among that group, 80% reported feeling “very happy” while 18% opted for “somewhat happy.”
Besides just feeling happier, a majority of those who drank 10+ glasses of water per day also reported feeling “very energetic” (82%). Two-thirds of this group also called themselves “successful.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly considering the study’s other results, participants who reported drinking zero glasses of water per day were the most likely group to call themselves “not very happy.” In all, 24% of these participants reported feeling this way.
“With the demands of everyday life, living a healthy lifestyle can sometimes be a challenge,” says O. Vine CEO Anat Levi in a statement. “Staying hydrated is a big part of that.”
Additionally, many of the study participants (75%) said they are simply too busy to drink enough water. Other reasons listed by participants as to why they don’t drink enough water included not feeling thirsty all that often (44%), preferring other beverages (42%), simply forgetting (33%), not wanting to pay for bottled water (25%), being afraid of tap water (22%), and not enjoying the taste of water (19%).
Despite this clear lack of motivation to stay hydrated, 73% said they feel noticeably happier once they feel they have had “enough” water. Over half (54%) also said they feel less productive at work if dehydrated.
A vast majority (75%) of study participants indicated that drinking enough water on a daily basis is a sign of maturity, and 36% said they usually opt for water over alcohol while out on the town with friends.
The survey was conducted by OnePoll.