Most of us are well aware that drinking enough water every day is not only great for you, but also a necessity. Multiple studies have revealed that staying hydrated is a key factor in becoming a more productive, successful, and generally healthier person. Truly, all healthy roads on the path to well-being seem to lead to drinking more water. Healthline reports with every glass, drinking water helps:
- Control calorie consumption
- Improve energy levels and brain function
- Aid in digestion
- Boost kidney function
- Improve skin health
- Aid in weight loss
- Prevent and treat headaches
However, despite this knowledge, most employees are guilty of not maintaining proper fluid intake either because they’re too busy working or they’re simply not a fan of the workplace water supply that’s available. This can be an incredible obstacle to both an organization’s workplace morale and productivity. If staying hydrated feels more like a chore than a healthy habit for you or your employees, you need to reevaluate your water supply. We’re taking a closer look at the importance of water intake and 5 easy strategies to employ that can help you stay hydrated throughout the workday.
The Value of Workplace Hydration
The majority of adults today are dehydrated. In fact, it’s been consistently shown that 75% of adults in the U.S. suffer from chronic dehydration, failing to drink the recommended 8 to 10 glasses a day. Hydration has a significant impact on mood and productivity, and dehydrated employees aren’t reaching their full potential in the workplace, which has adverse effects on your bottom line.
How can you tell if you’re dehydrated? The main symptoms to look out for include:
- Dry mouth, lips, and eyes
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Confusion
These are clear signals that an individual isn’t drinking enough fluids and if this continues, it can quickly lead to chronic dehydration. This is often associated with negative health impacts such as high blood pressure, joint pain, muscle damage, and an increased risk of kidney stones and heart illness, according to the Mayo Clinic.
5 Tips for Drinking More Water at Work
Luckily, there are a few simple ways anyone can improve water intake and mitigate water loss throughout the workday. Here are 5 ways employees can drive hydration and workplaces can promote greater water consumption at work:
1. Add a natural fruit to make a tasty infusion.
For those that find water bland and tasteless, an easy way to take your replenishing experience to the next level is with fruit-infused water. This can be anything from orange or lemon slices and watermelon chunks to kiwis or raspberries. Some people even freeze the fruit beforehand and use it instead of ice cubes to cool their drinking water while adding an extra touch of flavor.
For workplaces, it can be difficult to provide infused water. Fortunately, flavored sparkling water is an effective alternative to consider. This gives employees access to drinking water with a natural fruit flavor and carbonation that can help them avoid soda or energy drinks with a substantial amount of added sugar.
2. Use a drinking water app.
Believe it or not, there are multiple apps available that can support employees on their journey to proper hydration. Drinking water apps can track how many glasses or ounces of water an individual is consuming to help them gain better insight into their daily hydration habits and stay on top of their water intake at work. There are even smart water bottles available that connect to an employee’s phone to log sips and remind them how much they have left to drink that day. A simple notification alert can get an employee back on the hydration track.
3. Take advantage of a reusable water bottle.
A simple yet effective option for supporting greater water intake at work is a reusable water bottle. Employees can bring their refillable bottles to work, or workplaces can consider distributing them to employees, both to reduce single-use plastic at work and promote hydration. New or custom reusable water bottles can encourage workers to stay hydrated while motivating them to regularly refill their bottles throughout the day.
4. Eat water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables.
There are several fruits and vegetables with a fairly high water content that can help employees take in extra water throughout the day. Water-rich foods include:
- Lettuce
- Cucumbers
- Strawberries
- Watermelon
- Apricots
- Zucchini
- Cherries
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Tomatoes
As an employee, you can incorporate more of these foods into your diet or typical lunch to stay hydrated. Employers, on the other hand, can promote consuming these foods by integrating them into cafeteria or lunch program meals where applicable.
It’s important to note that while fruits and vegetables can be a good source of extra water, they won’t be sufficient to fulfill the required daily water intake on their own. Therefore, it’s always recommended to drink water throughout the day as well.
5. Use a bottleless water cooler.
For employees or workplaces that take advantage of single-use plastic bottles, this system is not only costly and burdensome, but it also has significant environmental impacts to consider. For an alternative that mitigates the issues of bottled water while promoting greater water intake, workplaces can introduce a bottleless water cooler.
A bottleless dispenser is installed and connected directly to a building’s existing water line, giving workers access to a limitless supply of filtered and chilled water each day. These point-of-use coolers are designed to be more cost-effective and space-efficient while improving sustainability. With an endless supply of great-tasting, fresh water, employees are much more likely to keep themselves hydrated and productive throughout the workday.
With these 5 simple tips and tricks, your workforce can learn to love the taste of water, prioritize their sips, and lead a healthier and more fulfilling life — all while maximizing productivity and helping you drive business results.
The Benefits of a Hydrated Workforce
Ensuring your employees, guests, and customers have access to clean, great-tasting drinking water at work is not only essential for supporting their well-being, but it also leads to an abundance of valuable benefits.
The main health advantages for employees include:
- Supported kidney function: Kidneys regulate the fluid in our bodies and dehydration can quickly lead to kidney stones and other significant health issues. By improving water intake in the workplace, you can support the functioning of your valuable team members’ health. Improved well-being inevitably helps drive employee performance as your workforce continues to feel their best and work to their full potential.
- Improved digestion: Proper hydration is a key element in mitigating digestive problems or an overly acidic stomach (which increases your risk of heartburn and stomach ulcers). Drinking enough water is an incredibly effective way to support digestive health and reduce the issues associated with dehydration.
- Boosted immunity: Drinking water can help improve the overall immunity of our bodies and by staying hydrated, employees can naturally eliminate any pathogens or toxins that cause infection. This may be especially true for workplaces that take advantage of advanced filtration systems, which provide significantly cleaner water than tap water or water from a single-use plastic bottle: These options tend to have higher levels of contaminants and pathogens than are acceptable.
Moreover, the workplace benefits of properly hydrated employees consist of:
- Regulating your employees’ moods: Dehydration is a considerable hindrance to the balance of dopamine and serotonin levels in your brain, which can increase feelings of depression and anxiety in your workforce. Supplying clean, delicious drinking water is an effective way to ensure employees can maintain their mental health and workplace morale long-term.
- Improved energy levels: Inadequate water intake can lead to a sluggish workforce, especially as the day draws on. This has severe consequences on your productivity and business operations. As workplaces drive hydration, they’re likely to experience employees that are more alert and energized throughout the day.
- Sharper focus and improved cognitive function: The Brain and Spine Institute of North Houston reports that you only need to be 1% dehydrated to experience a 5% decrease in cognitive function. If this lack of water intake is prolonged, brain cells can quickly shrink in size and mass. Improving hydration is a valuable way to increase mental focus throughout the day.
- Decreased absenteeism: Because sufficient water intake supports the overall health and well-being of your workforce, organizations can anticipate reduced absenteeism moving forward. Employee absence is a detriment to productivity while being incredibly costly to a business. Luckily, drinking enough water is an effective way to combat the issue — improving employee health and decreasing absenteeism as a result.
Choosing a Bottleless Water Cooler With Quench
To help promote hydration in the workforce, workplaces need to prioritize drinking water quality. High-quality water solutions ultimately have a significant impact on human health and introducing a better system is likely the most effective way to boost morale and productivity long-term. For workplaces in pursuit of a more effective, cost-efficient, and sustainable drinking water solution, Quench can help.
With a bottleless water cooler from Quench, your valuable employees, guests, and customers have access to an endless supply of clean and filtered water. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, the Quench Q-Series machines and quenchWATER+ solutions are designed to offer a water source that’s high-quality, contaminant-free, and great-tasting. Our qualified technicians and local water experts are here to guarantee a simple installation process and continuous reliable service along the way.
Ready for a bottleless water cooler and water filtration system that can drive workplace hydration and operational efficiency? Get a free quote to get started or try our product finder to discover the machine that’s the right fit for your unique business needs.
