With the Christmas festivities and New Year celebrations only distant memories, and the summer months seemingly far away, Mondays can feel disheartening at this time of year. The third Monday of January has been termed Blue Monday for this reason.
We’re following the lead of the Samaritans and turning Blue Monday into #BrewMonday! So we’re challenging you to hydrate & check in on a workmate to help lift your mood during the 9-5 and beyond.
Hydration facts:
- Dehydration can make us tired, anxious and lack concentration.
- Adults need 6-8 large mugs of fluid a day even in mild temperatures.
- Water – either tap or bottled – is great but plenty of other drinks count as well; including lower-fat milks, lower-sugar or sugar-free drinks and tea and coffee.
Work Ready can help you keep your workforce hydrated
Check your pee
A useful way of self-assessing whether you are adequately hydrated is the colour of your urine. Aim for a pale straw colour and if it’s darker then top up on healthy fluids. We can help workplaces with tools such as specially designed Work Ready pee charts for your toilet doors to raise awareness of hydration.
Train your wellbeing team to be hydration champions
A Work Ready dietitian can support the development and training of wellbeing champions. This can be bespoke or off the shelf such as our hydration champions toolkit.
Supporting those who support us
Front-line workers have been at increased health risk and are more prone to physical and mental burnout. It’s important that workers are able to maintain hydration levels which can be particularly challenging for those who have to wear face coverings and other PPE for long periods of time. We have some Hydration Tips posters for those who wear PPE (available in English and Welsh).
Don’t forget! Food can also affect mood
We all have good days and bad days but what we eat and when we eat can influence our mood, energy levels, concentration and even how we deal with stress at work. You don’t need to sign up to the latest fads – a healthy diet simply means regular meals and snacks with a good variety and balance of foods from the major food groups.
Work Ready Dietitians can deliver a 1 hour workshop with practical tips on how to ‘Eat well feel well’, either virtual or on-site.
Most importantly- hydrate & check in on a workmate!
Offer a cuppa and ask how they are. Make sure everyone has a drink ahead of any meetings or long stints of work, and make sure there are enough breaks to top up or pop to the loo.
Work Ready hydration resources are a great way to get started and the benefits happen straight away. Fill out the form below to speak to the team about how Work Ready dietitians can benefit your organisation.