OPINION: Paul Hickey: Long weekends, happiness with water and '5 Words for 5 K'

Last year's Waitangi Day celebration at Ohinemutu, Waitangi - For the Love of the People. Photo / File

I'm three weeks into the new work year, and I'm not ashamed to admit I'm ready for a break.

How are you coping with the start to 2021?

The new year holiday break seems so long ago, it's just as well that we've got a double barrel holiday period coming up with Anniversary Weekend followed closely by Waitangi Day, which gets Mondayised this year.

I was thinking that it must be the first time the new rule had been used for Waitangi Day, but I was quite surprised when I found out that the law got changed eight years ago, which means that we got our first taste of Waitangi Mondayisation back in 2016.

But considering how long ago new year seems, and the long year that was 2020, trying to remember Waitangi weekend five years ago is a bit of a mission.

So two four-day work weeks with a couple of long weekends is just what the doctor ordered.

And I do hope those weekends pay off well for the Rotorua tourism market.

It has been pretty full-on around town over recent weeks, and we will surely continue to reap the benefits of a great Kiwi summer, before the uncertainty of the rest of 2021 really starts to kick in.

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Put the shaky start to the week aside, and the weather over the past few days has been just perfect for this fan of summer!

Our pool at home suffered a bit of neglect after I went back to work, but luckily I had it all sorted in time for this week's heatwave, and it certainly served its purpose the past few days!

And while the pool helped us all feel a bit happier in the sweltering heat, it appears that water may just be the key to happiness.

You could argue that if there is something to be said it is maybe love, family, security or peace of mind, but the true answer just may be 'staying hydrated'.

A poll of 2000 people found that those who drink at least six glasses of water daily are most likely (41 per cent) to agree with the statement "I'm very happy".

Only 12 per cent of those who drink less than one glass of water per day say the same.

The survey also found that 40 per cent of those who drink more than six glasses of water consider themselves to be optimistic, compared to just 10 per cent of those who drink less than one glass per day.

Other findings: 56 per cent won't drink water unless it's cold, and those who drink lots of water were found to be less likely to wake up feeling tired.

So stay hydrated, go swimming, and it should be a happy long weekend all around.

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Jono & Ben are back on The Hits every weekday morning, and you're invited to join them for breakfast each day.

And maybe they might give you $5000!

Their new game at 7.45 each morning is called 5 Words for 5 K and they've already given one big bit of cash.

It is a simple word association game where you get given five words, and you say the first word that pops into your head with each word.

Then Jono or Ben will be given the same words, and if all five of their answers match yours, you win.

You can play along at home too for some early morning fun!

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Paul Hickey is the host of the local Rotorua show on The Hits Rotorua weekdays between 9am and 3pm. Listen on 97.5FM or download the iHeartRadio app. Follow The Hits Rotorua and Paul on Facebook and Instagram.