You know those stories you hear about how drinking two litres of water every day makes you healthy. Really? Where are you supposed to put all that water? And drinking from a glass, next your valuable computer which you use for work? No thank you, I’d rather not.
Of course bottled water is great if you can afford to spend around a pound every day, but I often forget it’s there and by lunchtime realise I have only taken one sip from the bottle (and screwed the cap back on, of course).No, I was on a mission to make the process of drinking water easier that it has been, and with my Productivity Guru hat on, I had a flash of inspiration and it came to me: I need a cup with a straw that I could use every day. And if it was dishwasher safe, all the better. After much research (yes really, I was doing this for you), I found this practical and funky thing:
So for only £6 from Amazon, I can now take leisurely and timely sips from my cup filled with Brita-filtered (other water filtering filters are available) water. Happy days are here again.
So, over the last six weeks, I have noticed the following benefits:
1. Plastic and glass bottles are not safe around my keyboard or computer
Minimising any potential mishaps just means there won’t be nasty accidents to deal with on a daily basis, leaving you to get on with the project in hand. The relationship between water and keyboard or laptop needs to remain strictly theoretical, so we avoid any the-dog-ate-my-homework scenarios for not getting the job done. Maybe it’s just me, but the sight of a glass glass (yes, a glass glass) next to a computer gets my OCD glands all a quiver. Best avoided, I think.
2. Drinking using a straw is better than bottle
Now this might sound like I am over-thinking this process but, now when I’m writing some copy for a website or composing a tweet, I don’t have to think about…
- where the bottle is
- where to put the cap when I drink some water
- screwing the cap back on properly.
I just grab my cup, drink and return it back on my desk. Simple.
3. Regular ‘comfort breaks’ a lot of the time
Looking at the screen for hours on end makes your eyes and your brain go wobbly. It’s true, just try it yourself for a couple of hours and try and refocus your vision back to the real world, where trees and wildlife and people live. Everyone knows it’s counter-productive to work long periods without a break. And if you haven’t got a fancy standing desk, you’ll be sitting on your bum for way too long as well.
So as you can imagine, one of the healthiest and most convenient side effects of all that water you’re now drinking, is regular visits to the loo. Hoorah. You can get up out of your chair and office to stretch the legs and back, you refocus your eyes so you’re not looking only two feet in front of you, and you get the break from your screen you need so you can be more productive throughout the day. Multiply this by x trips a day (I’ll leave you to fill in that number) and you’ll get your natural quota of breaks done and dusted.
Apart from these three useful productivity benefits, I have noticed I am happier and more alert during the day, suffering less headaches, and my skin and complexion appear to be somewhat clearer than they were before. If you try this, or any other water-drinking related productivity tips, please leave a comment and let me know about it. Thanks!
