You’re talking with a friend and the conversation is coming to a low. Your reusable water bottle is on the table next to you so without hesitation you take a sip even though you’re not that thirsty. Or you raise your hand to speak in class and after you share you grab your water bottle even though your mouth is not that dry. Maybe our reusable water bottles are more of an emotional support item than we like to admit.
(Nat sound: Owala bottle opening)
That was the opening of an Owala water bottle. Third-year Medill and Weinberg student Wendy Zhu says that it is her favorite reusable water bottle out of the several that she’s had since 7th grade,
[WENDY ZHU] And this was back when like the S’well water bottles were trendy. Like they were kind of like, I don’t know how to describe the shape, but I don’t know, it was like, they had a bunch of different cool colors, and I remember, I think they were on sale, but I got one of those like duo chrome like color shift ones, and I thought it was really cool. I remember it was like green in some lighting but also kind of like red, like yellow, orange in some lighting. And then my friend got like a blue-green purple one. So that was the first one I can remember.
Zhu says that each water bottle she has owned reminds her of a different period in her life.
[WZ] Like, when I think about my Lilac water bottle, I’m like, oh, like, you know, high school, whatever. I think about my Swell bottle, I’m like, oh, like middle school me, you know, those were the times and whatnot. So yeah, I would say that is my relationship with my water bottles.
[Music: Instrumental Beat by Moriah Pettway]
While some would admit to a relationship with their water bottles, others like second-year Weinberg student Miracle Ramos would say that her water bottle is nothing more than an object.
[MIRACLE RAMOS] I feel like when I do have a water bottle like I like I’m getting a new one every couple of months or every six months so I’m not really getting like attached to it, I just kind of get interested in a new bottle from time to time.
Second-year Weinberg student Adelina Jembere would also say she has no connection to her water bottle, could it be that she has one and does not even know it?
[ADELINA JEMBERE] And If I feel anxious or if like people are talking and I don’t know like how to contribute I’ll just go for my water bottle yea.
[Music: Instrumental Beat by Moriah Pettway]
So what is it, are we all using reusable water bottles for emotional support and we do not even know it?
To get to the bottom of this bottle I spoke with practicing licensed therapist, Kadene Whitehead, to find out what an emotional support item even is and if a reusable water bottle could even be considered an emotional support item.
[KADENE WHITEHEAD] An emotional support item can be a variety of things. Um, most commonly children like to use stuffed animals as emotional support. It can just be any item that helps you to reduce stress, like I’ve even taught children how to use playdough to rescue stress, I’ve also taught kids how to use slime to reduce stress and like I said stuff animals too it can be anything to reduce stress or just provide comfort.
When I think emotional support item I think of what Whitehead just said, a soft comforting teddy bear or a fuzzy blanket but can a water bottle really be an emotional support item?
[KW] Absolutely. You know, like I said, it can be a variety of things and I think it’s about what it does for the person and if it’s something that can help somebody to reduce stress. Yeah, it can definitely be a water bottle.
[Music: Faster sounding Instrumental Beat by Moriah Pettway]
So now that I know I have a problem. What causes emotional attachment to something like a water bottle in the first place?
[KW] Oh yea absolutely, I think sometimes people use items as emotional support without even realizing it, like sometimes people overcoming grief, they might hold on to something from a loved one and not even realizing that, you know, it is an emotional support item.
Whether you reach for your water bottle or not, Whitehead reminds us that it is important to implement healthy stress-reducing strategies into our daily lives.
I do think while emotion support items are very helpful. I think the best thing for people to do is to try to incorporate something into their life to help them reduce stress. Often most times nowadays, I feel like many adults tend to lean on maladaptive strategies to reduce stress, like substances. You know, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a client tell me that they vape or smoke marijuana to reduce stress. I highly recommend getting in a healthy routine, whether it’s going to the gym, do yoga class, or having some community if you’re spiritual, if you’re religious, you know, joining a church or joining a book club and like having a healthy sense of community.
[Music: Instrumental Beat by Moriah Pettway]
Music by, Moriah Pettway
For WNUR NEWS, I’m Moriah Pettway
