{"id":6313,"date":"2018-07-10T16:19:29","date_gmt":"2018-07-10T11:19:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cawater-info.net\/all_about_water\/en\/?p=6313"},"modified":"2018-07-10T16:19:29","modified_gmt":"2018-07-10T11:19:29","slug":"why-its-important-to-drink-more-water-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.cawater-info.net\/all_about_water\/en\/?p=6313","title":{"rendered":"Why It\u2019s Important To Drink More Water At Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no surprise that we spend the majority of our waking lives at work. The average person will spend around 90,000 hours at their workplace in their lifetime. When it comes to our health, it isn\u2019t always our main priority especially at work, while we\u2019re sitting at our computers or moving from meeting to meeting. Getting through our daily workload will always be at the forefront of our mind.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In Japan, where people work the longest hours \u2013 on average 60-70 hours a week \u2013 around 10,000 people drop dead at their desks a year, a phenomenon known as \u201ckaroshi\u201d.[1]\u00a0This only highlights the need to look after our health, and one of the most common health issues at the work place is dehydration.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s incredibly easy to avoid drinking enough water when we\u2019re focused on getting work done or too busy to grab a glass of water. Many of us turn to tea or coffee to stay alert during the day. Yet this is counteractive due to their diuretic effects \u2013 in other words, they increase urination and therefore expel fluid more easily leading to dehydration. Sitting too far from the office water fountain or kitchen can also mean less likelihood of hydrating adequately.<\/p>\n

Dehydration: The Silent Killer<\/h2>\n

When it comes to our health we all know we should drink an adequate amount each day. After all, 60 percent of the body is made up of water and the human brain is composed of 75 percent water.<\/p>\n

But the main problem with dehydration is you don\u2019t always feel the effects so obviously as you do with other health issues such as a bad back from sitting down too long or tired eyes from staring at a computer screen.<\/p>\n

Hydrating regularly lubricates our joints and eyes, keeps our skin healthy, allows optimum digestion, eliminates toxins and optimises the energy produced through our cells. Besides reducing concentration, not hydrating properly can create an imbalance of salts and sugars in the body which can quickly lead to other health problems.<\/p>\n

In other words, if you feel a headache coming on or feel slightly weak, don\u2019t reach for a mid-morning snack. The best thing to do is grab that glass of water first.<\/p>\n

How Dehydration Affects Productivity<\/h2>\n

We\u2019re not always aware of the benefits of drinking enough water and how it impacts our health and work life. As a result, we often neglect to drink more water even if we know we haven\u2019t always drunk enough during the day.<\/p>\n

A report showed that up to\u00a075 percent of Americans don\u2019t drink the recommended 10 cups of water a day\u00a0issued by the Institute of Medicine. This means most people are walking around mildly to severely dehydrated without even realising.<\/p>\n

When we get health issues such as severe tiredness, headaches, weight gain, high blood pressure or kidney complications, our first thought isn\u2019t that we\u2019re not drinking enough water. When it comes to our work, it can have wide-reaching implications \u2013 when we go home due to that incessant headache or we struggle with concentrating, our colleagues and departments indirectly suffer too.<\/p>\n

A recent survey translated this to a\u00a0$2.5 billion loss in productivity each year as a result of people taking time off work\u00a0due to chronic illness \u2013 many of which could be put down to simple dehydration. A further study looking at forest workers found a\u00a0significant reduction in productivity in those who were in a state of dehydration.[2]<\/p>\n

What are the Signs of Dehydration?<\/h2>\n

We don\u2019t always realise how much fluid we lose throughout the day and how important it is to rehydrate. Sweating, visiting the bathroom and even respiration uses up vital fluids in our body. Put that with any vomiting, diarrhea, alcohol consumption or excessive exercise and our water stores can become empty extremely quickly.<\/p>\n

There are several signs of mild to moderate dehydration which include:\u00a0dry mouth, tiredness, less need to urinate, headaches, fogginess in the head and lack of concentration.<\/p>\n

Severe dehydration could include symptoms such as:\u00a0irritability, confusion, extreme thirst, quickened heartbeat, rapid breathing and either no urination or urine that\u2019s dark in colour.<\/p>\n

How Employers Can Avoid Dehydration in the Work Place<\/h2>\n

The awareness of the possible devastating effects of dehydration is paramount in our daily lives and no more so than at work. There are some effective ways to encourage ourselves and our workforce to keep water intake topped up.<\/p>\n

Setting Up a Workplace Hydration Programme<\/h2>\n

Encouraging our employees and colleagues to keep hydrated is a key way to keep hydration to the maximum. Offices and other places of work can implement a system to do this in a clear and effective way.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Provide employees with easily-accessible water.<\/strong>\u00a0This could come in the form of providing bottled water, creating water stations throughout the work space and providing regular fresh water to water coolers. These encourage people to think more about hydrating especially if there are viable and fresh options.<\/li>\n
  2. Educate people.<\/strong>\u00a0While most people are aware they need to drink water, it\u2019s easy to dismiss the implications of not doing so. Placing educational materials such as posters around the workplace showing the importance of keeping hydrated as well as how dehydration has a negative effect on health will keep people more aware and motivated to get that glass of water.<\/li>\n
  3. Appoint a Hydration Action Committee.<\/strong>\u00a0Having accountability is really important when it comes to implementing a system and motivating people to drink more water. Create a committee to ensure water supplies are adequate and find fun and innovative ways to keep people hydrated.<\/li>\n
  4. Liven up plain water.<\/strong>\u00a0One of the main reasons people struggle to drink more water is that it\u2019s just too boring in taste. As a result many reach for sodas and energy drinks thinking they\u2019re topping up their fluids effectively. There are several ways of livening up water such as making ice cubes out of 100% fruit juice and adding them to water (reducing the amount of sugar), keep wedges of fruit for people to add to their glass of water or supplying large pitchers of water containing fruits such as cucumber, orange, lemon or melon to have infused water at hand. Outside workers can be supplied with bottled water. This way employees are happy and hydrated while employers have more productive staff on their hands.<\/li>\n
  5. Get rid of sports drinks and sodas.<\/strong>\u00a0As mentioned before, many people opt for fizzy drinks such as sports\/energy drinks or sodas. By getting rid of these in an office setting, it will encourage people to quench their thirst in a more positive and healthy way. Sugar-laden drinks will only serve to cause more problems with weight gain, sugar crashes and headaches.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    How Employees Can Make Sure They Hydrate Well<\/h2>\n

    Drinking enough water is all about establishing a habit until it becomes second nature. There are several things you can do to help you in your daily water-drinking routine.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Use a hydration monitoring app.<\/strong>\u00a0There are tonnes of free apps out there that remind you to drink such as\u00a0Dailyater,\u00a0Waterlogged\u00a0or\u00a0iDrated. They also let you add what you\u2019ve drunk throughout the day letting you see when you\u2019ve drunk your recommended amount.<\/li>\n
    2. Always carry a water bottle.\u00a0<\/strong>Having water always on our person will act as a constant reminder to drink. If you\u2019re rushing from meeting to meeting then having a bottle with you will counteract the excuse of being to busy to hydrate.<\/li>\n
    3. Eat more water-contained foods.<\/strong>\u00a0Fruit such as melons, apples and oranges will boost your water intake so try to opt for these as a snack. When eating your lunch always make sure you have a glass of water with you instead of your usual tea, coffee or soda.<\/li>\n
    4. Set yourself a challenge.<\/strong>\u00a0Fill a large 2L jug with water, place it near or on your desk and challenge yourself to finish it by the time you leave to go home. Having a constant reminder in front of you will motivate you to get that water intake up.<\/li>\n
    5. Reduce your coffee and tea intake.<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s very easy to create a habit of getting that morning coffee and continuing the habit throughout the day. It\u2019s important to stay alert but\u00a0in reality, water can more than do this for us. Make an intention to cut down the number of teas and coffees you consume throughout the course of your day and replace it with water.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Always remember the benefits drinking enough water brings to your working life. These include increasing energy, concentration and relieving tiredness, promoting weight loss with a healthy diet, flushing out unwanted toxins in the body, improving skin complexion, maintaining regular digestion, boosting your immune system, reducing headaches, preventing muscle cramps and sprains and, most importantly, puts you in a great mood. When your body is functioning at its optimum you will feel great and perform better!<\/p>\n

      Source:\u00a0https:\/\/www.lifehack.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n

      Dear User\/Visitor! Please, answer on our questions: tick off one of the positions \u2013 your answer will make us able to improve our site and make it more interesting and useful!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

      \n\t
      \n\t\t

      <\/p>\n\t\t

      <\/p>\n\t\t

      What materials need to be added on the site?<\/strong><\/p>