Staying hydrated seems like a no-brainer. The question is: What about you? Do you get foggy, pooped out, and edgy during your work day? Yup, could be you've got a case of dehydration. Fortunately, there are easy, even tasty, solutions to kick thirst to the curb.
“Water, water everywhere…Nor any drop to drink.”
True, this quote isn’t at all about working remotely. It’s about some poor bloke becalmed in the middle of a vast, calm sea.
Hold on a minute! Where’s your water? Oops, you drained the last bottle hours ago. Now you’re feeling pucker-up parched. Deep down you know this morning’s coffee probably sealed the dehydration deal.
This blog’s underlying message is that dehydration’s bad for you. We’re not here with a hard, better-hydrate-this-minute sell. Our job is to give you the goods on being happy, healthy, and bursting with creativity. Bottom line: Dehydration gets in the way of each of those!
The Deal About Dehydration!
"Most of the human body is water, with an average of roughly 60%."
Time to adopt a workplace wellbeing view of dehydration. That means focusing on it in a drop-by-drop and bottle-by-glassful manner. You’ll get a picture of water's wondrous effects on your work. Plus you’ll see the myriad, nasty ways life is limited when you’re dehydrated.
Dehydration & Your Brain
Water. Every drop matters. When water intake is limited or gets depleted, the impacts are plain old lousy. Those even affect your future. You get it! Every drop matters. Here’s why.
There you are, using brain power on cognitively engaging tasks. Your brain’s working hard. The bad news is you end up with lackluster performance (or even burnout) if you’re the least bit dehydrated. Losing just a few pounds of fluid weight drains your brain. It’s harder to make decisions, your attention span declines, as does physical agility. When this continues for a while, it affects overall brain health. Yup, staying hydrated helps to keep your thinking sharp from one birthday to the next.
This is just the tip of the dehydration iceberg! It can cause electrolyte imbalance. Their depletion is behind a bunch of symptoms that give you the big old alert: You’re Dehydrated! You got it, time to pay attention. Your old chemistry class buddies (sure!), chloride, sodium, calcium, and so on help move your muscles, keep your blood pressure in check, and let your tissues grow. When they’re out of whack…well, you get the picture!
4+ Signs of Dehydration
For starters, this list is doubled up or it’d be abysmally long.
1. Fatigue & Palpitations
Your fatigue is real and may have a bunch of causes. One biggie is dehydration. Even if you don’t exercise much, you can get dehydrated. Your skin gets dry and your sleep cycle goes down the tubes. Your heart starts pounding and you think it’s cuz you’re overtired. Oops!
2. Headaches
Scientists aren’t clear on why this happens. The point is dehydration brings on headaches more in some folks, not others. Chances are all that delicate brain circuitry is fond of fluid.
3. Dizziness
There’s a clear correlation between reduced fluid volume and having a dizzy spell. Especially when you stand up and your blood pressure tanks.
4. Dark Pee & Constipation
These are rather noticeable symptoms. Do you write them off due to lack of fiber or the toilet needs cleaning? Think again!
Get Off the Dehydration Treadmill
Time to devise ways to make dehydration vanish! Each one brings its own form of special relief.
1. Be Beverage Aware
There’s a humungeous list of beverages that drain your internal water supply. That includes coffee, some types of tea and energy drinks, and alcohol. Lower their intake and watch the results. You might be surprised! Knowing that water exits through lungs, skin, and elimination is information with its own potential. Aim for two liters or eight 8-ounce cups each day. Drink more when you’re extra-active!
2. Add in Beverage Bonanzas
Drinking water is your day-in, and day-out go to. Does your water taste gross? Consider a simple jug filtration unit. Add others to your list. Fresh fruit juices and decaf teas. Electrolyte-boosting drinks, smoothies, and coconut water boost rehydration.
3. Beyond-Beverages Rehydration
Fluids aren’t the only rehydration solution! Any of these will give you an extra-watery boost.
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Time For Drippy Foods!!!
Have tasty fun while adding a slurpy smile to your day! Try out a healthy variety of popsicles, oozing with fluidy colors. What about a sweet, juicy orange, or tangy grapefruit or apple? Time to also stock up on melons, tomatoes, and cukes.
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Try Out Humidity Hacks
What about a humidifier in your home office and/or living area? Keep the level between 30% and 50%, especially in the winter. When you keep plant friends around and watered, they add humidity. (Plus, they’re good listeners…)
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In and Out Exercise & Water Therapy
Take your physical activity breaks to another room, your deck, or on the sidewalk. No reason not to! Later on, steam up the bathroom, pull up a chair and do a set of yoga movements to help with overall hydration and tension relief. Try soaking your feet or take a tub so your pores become sponges. Add epsom salts, letting magnesium soothe muscles and raise your spirits.
The in-and-out exercise of lifting a glass of water keeps you healthy and supple, now and for years to come.
Drinking plenty of H2O also found its spot in our Rejuvenation piece! If you ever need a nudge to spring back to your ravishing-self, it's where you should hover on!
Wakeout
Wakeout
