3 Hacks by Sodexo to Make Drinking Water a Part of your Day

People make a lot of promises about quick fixes to improve productivity in your workplace. While most of those are more hype than help, there’s a remarkably simple trick that might actually work: Drink more water.

Water is one of the most basic things humans need. In addition to a host of health benefits – like improving skin and kidney function – drinking water prevents dehydration, which can cause fatigue. By staying hydrated throughout the day, you and your employees can maintain energy and focus – and improve performance.

Here are three easy ways to incorporate more hydration into your workday.

Have a water date

Chats around the water cooler used to be so common in workplaces that the term is shorthand for a time when employees take a break to gossip or discuss last night’s TV shows. These days, the idea seems almost as outdated. Employees are now more likely to head to a coffee shop for some caffeine or discuss the latest spoilers on interoffice chat. To encourage your office to drink more water, bring back the water cooler conversation. Start by making sure you have a water cooler, fountain or other way of accessing clean water. Then, instead of going for coffee with a friend, make a date to meet at the water cooler to fill your water bottle. Making the break something to look forward to will get your team more hydrated in no time.

Make the swap

Swap at least one beverage a day for plain water. If you drink sugary soft drinks, replacing them with water will reduce the number of calories you take in and reduce your consumption of sugar, too much of which can lead to obesity and diabetes. Sugary drinks, as well as caffeinated ones like diet soda and coffee, give you a quick burst of energy but usually result in a crash soon after. Water won’t lead to a crash – and because it prevents dehydration, it might give you the energy boost you’re after.

Challenge your team

A little competition among team members can be a great thing. A water-drinking competition will promote both team-building and health. Rather than seeing who can drink the most water, it might be best to see who can hit a specified goal (2 liters a day is a challenging but reasonable goal for most) because, while rare, it is possible to drink too much water. You could even kick off the competition by giving out some cool water bottles. And be sure to have a healthy prize for the winner!

How will you promote drinking water in your office? Share your ideas in the comments.