While we often talk about how hydration can help our body to feel and perform better, its impact on workplace performance is a topic that is often overlooked. Water is an essential ingredient and vital for all life to exist. And replenishing it throughout the day is critical to employee health, wellness and performance.
Mild Dehydration Can Reduce Workplace Productivity
Nearly 73% of our brain is water, so it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that dehydration has a significant impact on your mind. At just 1% of body water loss, workers begin experiencing decreased cognitive abilities, reduced concentration and alertness, and slower reaction times. According to the same study, the more dehydrated a worker becomes, the more severe their drop in productivity becomes: a 3-4% dehydration can bring about a 25% decline in worker productivity.
And while most employers don’t think of dehydration as essential means of boosting workplace productivity, a 2013 study found that water positively affected visual attention 20 and 40 min post-consumption and results in a 14% increase in worker productivity. These findings are especially significant for workers who spend hours at their desks and computer screens conducting tasks that require visual attention and alertness.
Dehydration Impairs Physical and Mental Performance
Employees who are confined to their desks working from the office or home experience symptoms but are often aware that the cause may be dehydration. Here is a list of common symptoms or signs that your employees may be dehydrated.
- Dry Eyes
- Headaches
- Trouble concentrating
- Lightheadedness
- Fatigue Sleepiness
- Muscle Aches
- Joint Pain
- Brain Fog
While all of these symptoms are caused by dehydration, most people attribute them to other causes due to a lack of knowledge about how hydration impacts the body and brain.For example, a 3% dehydration or water loss can slow an employee’s reaction time to the same degree as a 0.08% blood alcohol content. At .08 blood alcohol content (BAC), you are five times more likely to be in a car accident. While most employers would never allow a delivery driver or forklift operator to perform tasks with a 0.08 BAC, they don’t think about monitoring hydration levels in their employees the same way.
Corporate Wellness Experts On Dehydration & Productivity
In recent years, an increasing number of corporate wellness experts have started raising awareness about the impact of hydration in the workplace. Robert Herbst, a practicing lawyer for more than 20 years, has created a website dedicated to attorney wellness. Herbst says a healthy diet, daily exercise, proper hydration, and plenty of sleep are critical to improving healthcare outcomes for wellness goals of attorneys and other legal professionals.
“I know regardless of my sports performance or what kind of exercise I’m doing- whether it’s tennis, running, powerlifting or even just walking- my body will lose fluids. And it’s going to need to rehydrate. Similarly, sitting at a screen in an air-conditioned or heated office will cause you to become dehydrated. For me, Hydrus is the most effective way to re-establish hydration,” Herbst says.
Nearly 80% of employees are dehydrated throughout the day. Proper hydration can improve workplace productivity by 14%. Photo by Shridhar Gupta on Unsplash
Why Water Alone Is Not Enough
While most employers offer water (among a variety of other drinks options), water alone isn’t enough to replenish vital electrolytes essential to the body’s cellular functions. Drinking water alone isn’t the most effective weapon against dehydration because “proper hydration” is not about how much water you drink. Instead, it’s about how much water your body absorbs. And electrolytes play a crucial role in how your body absorbs water and nutrients. Electrolytes, sodium and potassium play essential roles in absorption and balancing water levels in your blood, urine, tissues, and other body fluids. They perform critical roles by helping your cells absorb nutrients and eliminate waste.
When your body becomes depleted of essential electrolytes, your cells and organs are unable to function correctly. That’s why drinking water alone isn’t the only weapon against fighting symptoms of dehydration. Your body often needs a balance of both water and electrolytes throughout the day to be “properly hydrated.” Hydrus is formulated to deliver the electrolytes your body needs more effectively than drinking water alone. Unlike other hydration products, Hydrus contains NanosomesTM or tiny nano-scale hollow sphere-shaped molecules made of phospholipids that encapsulate electrolytes and water.
Compared to other hydration drinks, studies show that the science in Hydrus delivers about 50% greater water and electrolyte absorption than traditional sugar-electrolyte drinks.
Unlike other hydration drinks, Hydrus is sugar-free and sweetened with Stevia. Hydrus has zero calories and is a perfect alternative to caffeinated and sugary drinks.
Adopting A Daily Hydration Routine In The Workplace
While we all often adhere to a prescribed routine for consuming food, i.e., three meals or individual diet plans etc., we hardly think about daily hydration the same way. For this reason, most employees don’t think about hydrating throughout the day. That’s why it’s critical to adopt daily hydration as a part of your company’s wellness initiatives.
Corporate wellness initiatives should be meaningful and measurable so that you can assess the impact of hydration on employee wellness and productivity. Contact our corporate wellness team today to learn more about implementing strategies that promote hydration for your employees and boost workplace productivity.
