Hydration & Workplace Productivity: Proper Hydration Is Essential To Your Workplace Wellness Strategy
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
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. Rober 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