It is common knowledge that drinking water and maintaining our body fluid is important. It is even recommended by the expert for people to consume around eight glasses of 230 ml or a total of 2 liters of water per day.
The reason why this water consumption recommendation is important is that most of our bodies consist of water, about 60 percent to be exact. Our body is very dependent on water because water helps carry nutrients to the body’s cells and remove toxins through vital organs.
Thus drinking water will not only bring great benefits but is essential for a living – especially so for employees who work every day. Drinking water all around during their work time is a must. With sufficient water consumption, it can also help employees to be much more productive during the day.
Help To Avoid Dehydration
Lack of drinking water can cause dehydration. This is also because most people don’t realize how much fluid they lose during the day. Sweating, urinating, and even breathing deplete the fluids in our bodies. There are some signs of mild to moderate dehydration:
- Dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Don’t have regular urinating
- Headache
- Dizzy
- Lack of concentration
While on the other hand, severe dehydration can include symptoms such as:
- Irritability
- Confusion
- Extreme thirst
- Rapid heartbeat & breathing
- No urination or very dark urine color
As you can conclude from the above explanation, dehydration can cause the body to become weak and easily tired. This can cause you to become sluggish both physically and mentally, especially so for employees whose job requires them to stay outside most of the time or do lots of movement – things that cause their body to sweat.
Thus it is recommended to drink water regularly so that the body avoids dehydration, can become fresher, and has more energy to increase work productivity.
Improves Brain Function
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) article, our brain consists of 73% of water. This means that lack of water content in the body has an impact on the brain. The effects of dehydration that you can feel on the brain are such as decreased alertness, slow reactions, and reduced attention span. Conversely, continuing to consume enough water and keeping it hydrated ensures that the brain functions effectively and will be more optimal.
Prevent Diseases
Consuming water can maintain water levels in our bodies. Thus, our bodies can avoid impaired digestive function and absorption of food. A good amount of water inside the body can also help kidneys to function at their best.
On the other hand, lack of water consumption can bring great danger to our bodies because it will affect the body’s organs and can cause disease in the long run. Employees who are sick all the time definitely will have a decrease in their work quality.
Treat Headache
Headaches can affect your work productivity. If you have a headache, you won’t be able to get the job done properly because you will only focus on the pain that you feel. Dehydration reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, which can cause headaches as well as migraines, making employees work less than optimally.
Reduce Stress Level
Keeping our bodies hydrated ensures that the cortisol (stress hormone) levels are maintained. Conversely, a lack of water consumption can also trigger these hormones. When employees start to feel stress at work, it won’t only interfere with their performance but also the team they are working with.
Improves Mood
Even slightly dehydrating can instantly affect people’s mood. This is because hydration plays an important role in mood and energy levels. After all, it affects cognitive performance.
Drinking enough water can uplift employees’ moods and thus help to improve good relationship bonding among co-workers. They won’t get easily irritated or snappy just because of small things. Proper hydration may be the key to a better mood and increased happiness in your company life!
Tips for Employees to Drink Enough Water
Drinking water might not always come to mind, especially when employees are busy. Thus to ensure that employees can improve their water consumption and become more productive, a company can do some of these options below:
- Provide employees with a reusable water bottle, so they can carry it wherever they go.
- Put notes or small banners that inform the importance of water for work productivity.
- Stock some water bottles on the go from http://www.myownwater.com and put them around the office. Thus employees can easily spot them and take one out whenever they need it.
There are several effective strategies that a company can do to encourage employees to keep their water intake high!
