We all know the importance of staying hydrated, but most people don’t think about it during the workday. When we’re in an air-conditioned office, focusing on a million different tasks, staying hydrated often gets put on the back burner yet it’s one of the most important things we can do for our health.
Proper hydration helps boost metabolism and reduce daytime fatigue. Dehydration can lead to headaches, decreased memory and can even reduce job productivity. By the time we feel thirsty, it’s already too late.
Tips for Staying Hydrated at Work
When you start feeling some symptoms like constant headaches, dizziness and lethargy then it is probably because you are severely dehydrated. In such a case we will go through some tips to help you increase your water intake.
- The first thing you can do is make the water taste better. You may like a particular fruit or flavour, which you can add to your water such as hydration sachets, these will be beneficial for you as sometimes you will develop a craving for it and once you enjoy the taste of water you will want to drink much more of it. Such waters which have lemon, watermelon, mint, or some greens in them also provide a vitamin and electrolyte boost.
- If you're craving a snack at work, it's probably because you are dehydrated hence you should make yourself drink water when you are unnecessarily hungry.
- Invest in a clear water bottle that is always at your desk or in your bag so that you are constantly reminded to drink. Transparent bottles are better as they show you how much water you’ve drunk, and you can keep track of it.
- You can set an alarm for water, and as our phones are constantly in our hands, it will be a good reminder for us or if you are at your desk all day, pop a sticky note reminder on your computer and every time you look at it, have a sip of water.
- Eating things like broccoli, bananas or strawberries may also prove beneficial as they are over 90% water.
The key is to stay hydrated throughout the day and not just down a litre of water at one time and then drink no water at all the rest of the day. This just leads to over-hydration and hyponatremia which are both life-threatening conditions. Water intake should be managed well and this is something everyone should put a conscious effort into it otherwise we will face dire consequences in our work life and personal life as well.