“I get so tired in the afternoon!” Try drinking more water
How’s your day going?
Often, once it gets to the afternoon, I start to feel a bit ‘meh’.
It’s usually because I’m not drinking enough water throughout the day. I’m pretty good early in the mornings. That’s when I’ve been to the gym, so I’ve always got water on hand.
When I get further into the day, I’m not so great at chugging the old H2O. I’d much rather just get a Flat White or a Gingerbread Latte on the go!
But there’s a good reason to opt for the water! A 2013 study at the University of East London showed that we can increase our productivity by 14% if we drink enough water during the day - so it’s another crucial ingredient in doing our best work.
We should be drinking around two litres of water per day. This is around three and a half pints. The typical bottle of water you buy in a shop is 500ml - so it’s four of those.
We don’t usually feel thirsty until we’re already dehydrated so we need to stay on top of this ourselves.
My way of addressing my dehydration demons was to buy one of those refillable water bottles with time stamps on the side. This allows me to keep track of how much I’m taking on board and if I’m ‘ahead’ or ‘behind’. Yes, my competitive tendencies even stretch to my own water drinking habits!
My water bottle sits on my desk and I normally take a few sips from it at the end of every time block in my day. When I’ve completed a block of work (which for me is 25 mins) I’ll take a slurp from my bottle. On the days when I do this, I don’t get that fatigue feeling creeping in.
But even with my water bottle, I struggle sometimes. So, I have to mix it up and keep things interesting! Recently, I’ve been adding some chopped cucumber, slices of lemon and fresh mint leaves to my water bottle. It does taste delicious. And it looks good too!
You can also download a range of different apps to help you stay hydrated, like Water Minder and Hydro Coach. They remind you when it’s time to take a slurp. They’re not for me as I have far too many notifications as it is, but hey, they work for some!
Try building water into your planning routine to make sure you’re not running on empty!
Sign up for my fortnightly email newsletter for more tips and a regular dose of study inspiration!