Proven easiest ways to avoid dehydration at work

According to Gettysburg College,” you spend one-third of your life at work. The average American spends 90.000 hours at work in a lifetime”.  We often forget to eat and drink enough water in the stressful, busy office of today’s world. Unhealthy, sugary snacks and dehydration at work are common among employees. Tiredness and lack of energy are common symptoms of dehydration that you might be suffering from now.

Tahoe Springs Water brings you smart and effective strategies to prevent dehydration at work and begin a healthy lifestyle.

How much water should you drink at work?

The amount of water you need at work depends on different elements; age, gender, physical activity, season, and humidity.

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced that men need about 15.5 cups (almost 3.7 liters) of water a day, while women need about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) a day.

The amount could increase by the severity of the work. You might need to drink more water to prevent dehydration at work if you work outdoors.

People working in the following fields might need to be more careful about dehydration at work;

• Construction
• Oil rigs
• Sport
• Tourism
• Farm

If your office isn’t equipped with proper air conditioning, you might need more water. Bear in mind that you need to drink enough water during winter as well. The need for water doesn’t go anywhere in the cold season.

How to prevent dehydration at work?

The following tips could aid you in preventing dehydration at work:

Know the signs of dehydration

When do you know you are dehydrated? Well, at the very moment, you see the symptoms. The signs of dehydration don’t surprise you. They appear slowly and one after another. You need to know each one of them to stop dehydration at work:

• Thirst
• Headaches
• Dry mouth and throat
• Fatigue
• Cramps, nausea, and irritability
• Collapse, seizures,
• Senseless thinking
• Lack of energy

Your body knows when it needs water exactly and sends the required signal. Yet, monitor the situation and see if things are going right or not. If you don’t notice dehydration signs at work, you should drink the recommended amount of daily water.

Read about dehydration and bedtime.

Forget the legends; speak science

There are different myths or misconceptions about health. You may hear some of them at work, including eight glasses of water per day. The recent findings say that it might not be accurate.

The daily amount of water you need to drink depends on your:

• Age
• Gender
• Physical activity
• Humidity
• Season
• Indoor/outdoor job
• Diet

As mentioned, the recommended amount of water is 15.6 cups for men and 11.4 cups for women in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The amount might decrease or increase by your conditions mentioned above. It would be best if you drank enough during the day to avoid dehydration at work.

Make water evident at work

James Clear is a habit scientist. In his book “Atomic Habits” he mentions that one of the essential rules to start a new habit is making it “Obvious.” It means putting the signs that trigger you to do it.

If you intend to read a book, put it by your bed. If you want to start eating healthy, keep healthy food in your fridge or fruit in the kitchen. Are you considering fewer visits to social media? Delete them from your bookmarks.

The same is true for dehydration at work. You might need to put the signs of drinking water around. Bottled water on your desk is a good start. Clear marks that he bought a large beautiful pot and put all the bought apples in it. Then he began eating them during the day. Even though he used to put all of them in the fridge and find them rotten a few days later.

It would be better if you had a cause to start drinking more water. Bottled water can provide it to you. If it’s your favorite color, you are more likely to stick with it.

Drinking water before sleep. Learn more about it.

Water cooler

It seems water coolers have become part of modern offices. It can give the employees a reason to stand up and drink water. A culture has been formed called “Water cooler chat.”

Staff would gather around the cooler and talk about different stuff as it motivates them to drink water and talk, increasing innovation. The studies indicate that conversation helps employees’ motivation and positively impacts work culture and performance.

Cal Newport mentions these scientific findings in his book “Deep Work.” Have you ever noticed that you come up with a brilliant idea while working out, visiting the bathroom, taking a shower, or driving?

When you engage in physical activity, if you focus on one problem, your mind will find the solution. It gets called “Productive Meditation.” This is why great philosophers had daily walking or physical habits like Carl Yung.

If you don’t have a water cooler in your office, talk to the management about its benefits and try to get one. It’s one bird, several stones. Preventing dehydration at work with a water cooler holds multiple benefits.

Water-rich food

Open the drawer of almost every employee, and you’ll find snacks there. They are an excellent option to avoid large, heavy meals and provide energy. You can take water-rich food snacks and hit two birds with one stone.

For instance, milk is one of them. Not only is it healthy and nutritious, but it can also provide hydration for you.

Instead of that chips, sugary stuff, or baked goods, try to have the following water-rich food to avoid dehydration at work:

• Cucumber, 96% water
• Tomatoes, 95% water
• Mushrooms, 92% water
• Melon, 91% water
• Broccoli, 90% water
• Oranges, 88% water
• Apples, 85% water
• Blueberries, 84% water
• Strawberries, 915 water
• Peaches, 89% water
• Soup, 92% water
• Cabbage, 92% water

Don’t mistake dehydration with hunger

According to studies by Richard D. Mattes, you can mistake thirst with hunger. It becomes essential if you are on a diet or trying to lose weight. You could end up taking more calories or dehydrated at work.

The same section of your brain is responsible for sending signals for hunger and thirst.

To avoid mistaking, you can set daily goals to drink enough water. As mentioned, the recommended amount of water is 15.5 cups for men and 11.5 cups for women. Sip multiple times during the day to avoid dehydration at work.

It would be best if you also eat regularly to provide enough calories. This way, you can ensure your feeling is thirst or hunger.

In case your thirst doesn’t quench with two cups of water, it’s time for a healthy snack or the next meal. If you still feel hungry, grasp that bottle of water.

Make drinking water satisfying

When you drink that glass of water, it quenches your thirst, and you feel great. Let’s face it. You often don’t feel anything after drinking water. It could be particularly true during winter that you don’t feel thirsty.

According to James Clear, you need your habit to be satisfying to stick with it. He says if you like a habit’s reward, you are more likely to do it. How can you make it so?

Add some flavors to water. What is your favorite fruit? Slice some pieces and add them to your colored bottle or cup. Taste, and it will taste just like the fruit. Vegetables like peppermint also taste the water and encourage you to drink water more. It will give you a great cause to drink water and enjoy your constructive habit.

Control water intake

Tracing your fluid intake is a smart way to avoid dehydration at work. You know you’re not drinking enough water; it’s time to take action about it. You can use various methods to monitor fluid intake.

• Water tracking extensions or apps
• Health monitoring apps
• Hydration tracking bottles
• Water tracking gadgets
• Dehydration alerting sleeves
• App connected drinking glasses
• Drink monitoring cups
• Hydration monitoring sensors
• Intelligent water bottles
• Handy hydration watches

The way you choose to monitor your fluid intake is up to you. You could write down the cups of water you take or purchase a luxury device.

Connect drinking water with a why

I have just finished Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer-prize-winning reporter. It was amazing and I learned a lot of stuff. The one section is about motivation and how people find it to get things done.

The example Duhigg uses is with the US Marines. When they are working hard and going through the obstacle courses, some soldiers seem they want to stop and skip the rest of the process. This is when the army personnel go and ask questions from them; why are you doing this? The question might sound silly or stupid. But when the poor soldier answers, he/she gets going. There is science behind his. Duhigg explains in the book that when you connect a chore with a meaningful decision, you will get motivated to get going.

Try it one time and content drinking water with a meaningful decision of being healthy and having a strong body. Just remind yourself; ask and answer the questions. Then you will find it easier to stick with the habit of drinking water or any other hard task.

The bottom line

You and I spend most of our day or week at work. If you want to have a healthy life and increase performance, you need to take care of what you eat and drink. Due to a busy schedule or forgetting, you might not drink enough water and face dehydration at work.

The article brought you smart tips on how to avoid dehydration at work. The point is all of them are scientific-based, not personal opinions.

In case you don’t like the taste of tap water in your area, like Las Vegas, you need a reliable water company to ensure hydration at work.

Tahoe Springs Water has been providing water services in the valley since 1994. Give us a call at +702-903-1433 or order from the different water range; alkaline, Spring mountain water, or purified water.

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FAQs

Why should I worry about dehydration at work?

1% of dehydration at work, 12% reduction in productivity.

Are there tips to keep me hydrated at work?

See the article for smart strategies that won’t require much hard work.

Can dehydration make me tired?

Yes, it increases body temperature, and you feel tired.

I don’t like the taste of water. What should I do?

Add herbs and fruits to the water, or try bottled water from Tahoe Springs Water.