Workplace water challenge ideas to boost hydration and morale

Smart employers know workplace wellness initiatives can increase engagement, reduce turnover and offer a host of other benefits. Even better, you don’t need to implement expensive programs or pay a consultant to promote enhanced well-being. Something as simple as a water drinking challenge can help employees build better habits while boosting morale. Stay tuned for tips on making your challenge a success from the first sip.

The importance of hydration in the workplace

When you get warm, you begin to sweat, causing water to evaporate on the surface of your skin. If you don’t replace the water you lost, you risk getting dehydrated, which can lead to problems with your blood pressure, heart rate and other body functions. Dehydration also affects cognitive performance, resulting in difficulty with the following mental processes:

• Staying focused
• Recalling long-term memories
• Accessing short-term memories
• Performing simple calculations

Poor cognitive performance interferes with an employee’s ability to pay attention, collaborate with colleagues and complete work-related tasks, leading to reduced productivity and lower morale. The good news is having a water challenge at work can help employees improve their physical and mental health, leaving you with a motivated, productive workforce.

How to promote wellness in the workplace

If you want to make wellness a priority, follow these tips:

• Plan office team-building activities that focus on physical and mental health instead of more traditional workplace topics.
• Give employees regular opportunities to stretch.
• Make clean, fresh-tasting water easily accessible.

Creative corporate wellness programs and water challenges for your team

One easy way to boost morale is to implement a hydration-tracking program. Once you set a goal, track consumption with a spreadsheet or poster board. At the end of the challenge, reward successful participants with extra time off, gift cards or other cost-effective prizes.

Another option is to schedule hydration days around specific themes. For example, if you hold a hydration day during the summer, prepare pitchers of water with strawberries, blueberries, cucumber slices and lemon wedges. As the fruits soak, they’ll release their flavors, giving employees a refreshing summer treat. You can even ask employees to bring in their favorite fruits, sparking conversations about which tastes the best.

Instead of doing the same office team-building games every year, implement group activities focused on hydration. For example, a “water walk” gives team members a chance to drink water while walking around the premises. You can even create a competition to see who can drink the most water in a week.

What is a 30-day water challenge?

If you want to focus on hydration for more than a few hours at a time, set up a 30-day water challenge. During this challenge, employees set a daily consumption goal and track their intake individually. When the challenge ends, everyone who reached their goal receives a prize.

Implementing a successful workplace water drinking challenge

Like other team-building games for the office, a water challenge requires careful planning. Follow these tips to make your workplace wellness initiative as effective as possible.

Set clear objectives

Goals must be specific and measurable, so start by setting clear objectives for your challenge. Make sure employees know how long the challenge lasts and how much water they have to drink to qualify for a reward (if applicable). Encourage participation by creating a catchy name for your challenge and reminding employees of the benefits of increasing their water intake.

Use appropriate tracking tools

If only a few employees are in your department, a simple spreadsheet probably works fine for tracking purposes. Otherwise, consider downloading a mobile application designed for workplace wellness challenges. Tracking everyone’s progress makes it more likely that participants will stay motivated and engaged.

Promote the challenge

If your challenge lasts for more than a day, you need a way to keep employees motivated. Use social media or your internal communications system to create a buzz around your hydration event. Encourage employees to log their water consumption or post photos of themselves drinking from company-branded bottles.

Rewards system for the workplace water drinking challenge

Offering rewards is another great way to encourage participation. Instead of handing out notepads and pens, make each reward resonate with your team. For example, employees may appreciate an extra 15-minute break or a gift card to a nearby lunch spot.

It’s also helpful to recognize successful participants in your company newsletter or on your social media channels. Hosting a celebratory event, such as a luncheon or a hydration-themed party, is an ideal way to wrap up a lengthy water challenge.

Promoting a hydration-friendly workplace

If you want employees to stay hydrated, create a hydration-friendly environment. Use these tips to make sure employees always have access to clean, potable water:

• Place water stations in break rooms, conference rooms and other high-traffic areas.
• Offer multiple types of water, such as filtered, sparkling and fruit-infused.
• Give employees reusable water bottles with your company logo on them.
• Launch an educational campaign to highlight the benefits of staying hydrated at work.
• Hold a friendly competition to encourage team members to track their water intake.

Measuring the success of your water drinking challenge

To make your water challenge even more of a success, establish key performance indicators (KPIs) related to your goals. Common KPIs include water consumption levels, participation rates and overall employee satisfaction. Tracking these KPIs makes it easier to determine if employees are engaged.

Promoting a culture of hydration doesn’t just improve wellness in the moment. It helps members of your workforce develop healthy habits that benefit them well into the future. Schedule a free consultation with Culligan Quench to discover how we can help keep your employees hydrated.