10 Effective Tips For Staying Hydrated At Work
Do you need tips for staying hydrated at work? If so, you have come to the right place! Keep reading to get tips on how to stay hydrated at work!
Are you looking for tips to stay hydrated at work? It can be really challenging to remember to drink water throughout the day! If you struggle to drink enough water at work, this article can help you out!
In this article you will learn:
- Tips for staying hydrated at work
- The importance of staying hydrated at work
10 Tips For Staying Hydrated At Work
Create a Daily Routine for Drinking Water
As a healthcare provider and insurance claims expert who frequently finds himself inspecting roofs of houses in the Florida summer, I know the best way to stay hydrated is to prevent dehydration in the first place. To start, I like to do what I call the AM/PM hydration technique. With this technique, no matter what, I drink two 500ml water bottles immediately upon waking, and one 500ml bottle of water right before bed.
This way, no matter what, I have 1.5 liters of water going into my body each day as a base. Then, throughout the day, I make sure I drink at least four 500ml bottles of water spread out during lunch and dinner and in between. Altogether, seven bottles of water is 3.5 liters of water. Because caffeine may actually dehydrate the body, I try to keep coffee to a minimum, which may be half of a cup per day. On an average day of sweating, this is fine for me when I include fruit which is mostly water. If it’s super hot outside and I’m sweating more, then I add a bottle.
— Alan Himmel, Florida Allstar Public Adjusting, Inc.
Make Use of a Water Cooler or Get a Thermos
Make good use of a water cooler. Each day, you should consume six full glasses of water, which is the equivalent of about 50 fluid ounces. Get a 24-ounce thermos and fill it up at least once per day – two if you’re determined to get all of your daily water intake in by the end of your business day. The water cooler is a good place for people to congregate – and it’s a great thing to have to make sure you’re meeting your daily requirements. If a group of co-workers pitch in each month to cover the cost of a water cooler and the associated refills, it comes out to just a few bucks each.
— Chris Riley, USA Rx
Drink Less Caffeine
Work can be stressful, and often we want to down cups of coffee to increase our productivity and get through big projects. However, drinking too much caffeine can increase dehydration. Instead, when you’re feeling super stressed and need something to make you feel energized, go outside and take a walk or take a break to chat with a co-worker. If you work from home with a flexible schedule, go for a run. There are other ways besides caffeine to relieve stress.
— Nick Shackelford, Structured Agency
Get a Special Water Bottle
Staying hydrated when you’re at work isn’t easy for everyone. If you’re like me and you forget to drink water all day, I recommend getting a “special” water bottle. It could be a water bottle with your favorite characters, quotes, color, etc. You could even get one of the bottles that come with time stamps so you can follow the schedule.
However, I have felt that having a water bottle that feels unique to me makes me drink more water. I don’t know if it’s the novelty of carrying something new, or what it is but I find that when I carry my own bottle I tend to drink more water. Another thing that helps is having your bottle on your desk, or somewhere you can see it. If you’re able to see your bottle all day, you will be reminded to drink water every time you see it.
— Rich Rudzinski, Tragic Media
Keep Your Water Bottle or Container in Plain Sight Always
Admittedly, I drink coffee more than I drink water whenever I’m working. However, I do try to balance out the caffeine with water as much as I can by placing my water bottle right beside my monitor. I find that having my water bottle in plain sight will not only remind me to drink water but also make me gravitate toward it rather than my coffee. I’ve been doing this practice since the start of the year and I noticed that I drink more water than coffee. In fact, I only grab a cup of coffee during my breaks and habitually take sips of water whenever I’m working at my desk.
— Alex Shute, FaithGiant
Set Timers to Drink Water
It can be easy to forget to drink water when you’re working. So, try setting timers for every hour or so and go for eight cups a day total. Of course, you do not have to drink all of your water when you are at work. Still, since you’re probably at work for most of your day, setting timers as reminders will be a big help, especially when you’re particularly busy.
— Drew Sherman, Carvaygo
Get a Smaller Refillable Water Bottle
Get a refillable water bottle that is smaller than you would expect. This may seem counterintuitive, but finishing a smaller bottle more frequently boosts your perception of accomplishment and can help motivate you to keep drinking more. It is also lighter and will fit into more types of bags than a typical 32oz hydration bottle.
— Patrick Robinson, Paskho
Intersperse Your Water Intake With Fruits
Choose healthy snack alternatives that keep you hydrated throughout the day. For example, watermelon, cucumber, and strawberries have a high-water content that hydrates during a busy workday. In addition, fruits and vegetables have more electrolytes than regular tap water. You can introduce these water-drenched snacks in many ways, such as infused in water or added into a salad. Lastly, different sources of hydration can add excitement and interest to your everyday office routine to keep you refreshed and healthy.
— Benjamin Earley, HOLT
Add Electrolytes
Switch it up from plain water and add electrolytes! Electrolytes are also a great way to replenish minerals in our body. Additionally, electrolytes can help hydrate our cells and keep our muscles working well.
When choosing an electrolyte, make sure they do not contain added sugar and artificial ingredients. For more information, check out the best electrolytes for fasting and the healthiest electrolyte powders guide.
— Macy Michelle, Macy Michelle Blog
Avoid Salty Snacks as You Keep to Daily Water Intake
Keep your snacks in mind. One thing that can have a major impact on your hydration is what you choose to eat. Snacking on processed foods that have lower water content can dehydrate you. Instead of having salty snacks, try to choose things like fruit, veggies and smoothies. These items are higher in water content – sometimes as much as 90% water – and can help support your hydration.
— Vimla Black Gupta, Ourself
Why Is Staying Hydrated Important
What is the importance of staying hydrated at work? Not only does dehydration cause fatigue, according to research conducted by the US military, just a one to two percent drop in your body’s baseline hydration level is enough to depress your cognitive function.
This means that staying hydrated, especially at work, can prevent fatigue and keep your cognitive functioning sharp!
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I drink water at work?
How often you drink water at work is up to you! It works well for many people to set a water drinking goal and then determine how much of that water goal you would like to drink while at work.
How can I drink more water at work?
You can drink more water at work by setting reminders to drink water, keeping your water bottle in plain sight and adding fruit or electrolytes to your water!
Related: Best Electrolytes For Fasting
This article was all about staying hydrated at work.