5 Benefits of Drinking Water at Work
1) Brain function
Studies have shown improvements in brain function and alertness when the body is adequately hydrated. The body’s cells are made primarilary of water and having sufficient water present allows for better transmitting of nerve stimulus and exchange of chemicals in and out of cells. This is how the brain works, chemicals and nerve impulses travel around the brain activating many of your central nervous system mechanisms that keeps your concentration, reasoning and memory recall activated at the highest level. Reduction in water slows these transfers down and slows the overall brain’s performance down with it.
2) Increasing blood flow when walking to the water cooler or bathroom
Many people don’t realize exactly how long they have been sitting without getting up each day. With sitting becoming known as “the new smoking” for it’s detrimental affects on your health, it is recommended that you get up and walk around at regular intervals. While some people claim they don’t have time to get up and walk around it is of vital importance to increase blood flow to the legs and move your joints around regularly. (Move it or loose it) If you have a small water bottle or a glass on your desk, it firstly acts as a reminder to drink it, but also once it is empty you must fill it up again. Therefore giving yourself a reminder to move around.
3) Getting a brain rest from the monotonous
While filling your glass or water bottle up you are forced to take short breaks from the work you are doing. This can act as a brain reset and give yourself a change of environment, change of stimulus which can in turn benefit your work once you return to your desk. (providing of course you don’t get distracted by a colleague showing you a funny email or talking to you about their weekend plans).
4) Better performance during presentations
A dry mouth is a sign you are ALREADY dehydrated. How often have you gone into a presentation or a meeting slightly nervous and no matter how much water you drink you can’t seem to quench your thirst. It’s too late by then, the glass of water on the side won’t stop you tripping over your own tongue and mangling words together under pressure. Taking the principle of PRE-hydration from athletic performance, if you drink sufficient water before a big event, you are much less likely to becoming dry mouthed and thirsty during the activity. When hydrated the cells in the muscles (in this case your tongue and lips) are already nicely filled with water, so the “fluidity” of performance is increased. This along with the increase in brain performance will lead to a much better presentation.
5) Better than drinking caffeine or sugary soft drinks
How many coffees do you drink a day? How much sugar do you consume from soft drinks or juices during the day? Many people just drink whatever is in front of them out of habit, they don’t necessarily need or want the contents of the glass. Drinking water is a healthy alternative to forcing external stimuli into your body, or guzzling down excess calories and preservatives hidden in fizzy drinks and juices. Water is zero calories, zero sugar and has many deeper benefits to it.
It is advised that we should drink 8 small glasses of water everyday for optimal health benefits and cognitive performance. Simply put, have 1 glass when you rise in the morning before your breakfast to stimulate your internal digestive system. Have a second with breakfast. Mid morning break have a third. While you’re sitting at your desk before lunch have a fourth. Fifth glass comes with lunch. Get over that 3 o’clock slump with a short walk to the water cooler for number five. Six just before you leave the office. Number seven just as you arrive home from work to satisfy the thirst you built up on your commute home. And eight with dinner or just before you go to bed. Simple.
