7 Ways Staying Hydrated Enhances Mental Performance

Water is one of the basic needs of the human body and staying hydrated directly enhances Mental Performance. Man can go for up to 3 weeks without food, but no more than 3 days without water. All our muscles, bones, tissues, and vital organs function flawlessly when you provide your body with a constant supply of water. Not many of us are aware of the fact that our brains tend to work better when our bodies are well hydrated. Not only that, it even enhances our concentration and memory levels in addition to keeping mood swings at bay. Follow these 7 ways staying hydrated enhances mental performance.

Let’s dive deeper into the details of how a healthy intake of water plays wonders for brain functioning and development.

7 Ways Staying Hydrated Enhances Mental Performance

1. Improved energy levels:

All vital functions in your body need water. Blood, the most important connective tissues in your body is made up of 92% of water by volume. Water is needed to keep the health of your vital organs in check.

Drinking enough water ensures that all these physical processes are carried out smoothly. In addition to that, your brain responds faster and more effectively when you are well hydrated. Given these benefits, you will witness a surge in your overall energy levels that pave the way for a healthy mind and body.

2. Better concentration capacity:

There is a reason why children and young adults in schools and colleges are advised to carry a bottle of water with them while attending classes and taking exams.

Drinking water from time to time ensures that your mind keeps working at its finest thereby allowing you to concentrate effectively on the task at hand.

Being dehydrated prevents your brain from working at its best, especially when you need to concentrate and avoid any sort of mental distractions. It is recommended to drink a couple of sips of water before starting your tasks to get the best out of your mental performance.

Water works as an instant fuel for your brain which gives it an immediate boost in terms of increased concentration and enhanced mental capacity.

3. Enhanced memory retention capabilities:

It not only enables you to memorize things faster and better but also helps you recollect them whenever you need. You can concentrate much more effortlessly and improve your productivity simply by sipping on water every 20-30 minutes at your desk.

4. Addressing headaches and migraines:

A headache is a sign of dehydration. In fact, if your body is feeling thirsty and is culminating in headaches, it is high time you start drinking water. Drinking water may not completely cure your migraines since it needs serious medical intervention.

However, it can surely bring some pain relief by not driving you to the point of madness. Therefore, keep building up the amount of water in your body to avoid headaches, especially if you’re prone to regular migraines.

5. Treating hangovers:

Speaking of curing headaches, drinking enough water also works wonders in getting rid of ugly hangovers. Alcohol is one of the strongest dehydrating agents that you can ingest, and overconsumption of alcohol leads to hangovers.

Being an antidiuretic in nature, alcohol causes you to lose more water than you consume. This may eventually lead to severe acute dehydration. Fatigue, dry mouth, headache, and constant thirst are all symptoms of being hungover due to excess alcohol intake.

In other words, your hangovers are also an indirect result of remaining dehydrated for long periods of time. Make sure you consume plenty of water on a daily basis to prevent and treat horrific hangovers in the long run.

6. Boosts thought process and innovation by staying hydrated throughout the day:

A daily intake of 2-3 liters of water is necessary for all your vital organs to keep functioning smoothly, including the brain. When your body faces a lack of water, your brain tends to stress out naturally thereby putting more focus on this issue than your daily activities.

Ensuring that you keep yourself hydrated will take your brain’s focus off this aspect and allow it to think and work freely. Which is why people who remain hydrated more often have a better thought process and a constant flow of impressive ideas that others don’t.

7. Keeps anxiety and depression at bay by staying hydrated:

Drinking enough water will not cure you of depression and anxiety. These are mental health disorders and need to be addressed via a medical and mental health professional.

However, staying hydrated can work wonders in uplifting your mood and bringing down the stress levels in your system.

If you feel agitated, grumpy, moody, and angry more often than not, maybe its time to up your water intake. Staying hydrated keeps you fresh and calm at all times which can pave the way for a speedy recovery from conditions like stress, anxiety, and depression.

Physical health benefits of staying hydrated

• Drinking enough water ensures little to no possibility of kidney stones.
• Your blood consistency is effectively regulated keeping your heart, kidneys, liver, and gut health in control.
• You seldom face issues like constipation, headaches, mood swings, and fatigue.
• Drinking plenty of water causes you to lead an active and energetic lifestyle.
• You can even curb your unpredictive hunger pangs by drinking 2-3 liters of water each day. It helps you lose the extra fat and flab in addition to keeping you satiated for longer.

7 Ways Staying Hydrated Enhances Mental Performance Summing it up:

Good brain health, functioning, and development are all directly influenced by the amount of water you drink daily. Your mental health is largely influenced by whether you stay hydrated or choose to starve your body of water.

Along with drinking plain water, you can even focus on electrolyte consumption as well. Fruits such as watermelon, bananas, and mangoes are excellent sources of water and natural electrolytes.

Fruit juices are also good sources of water if you don’t prefer eating fruits directly. If you decide to consume citrus fruit juices, make sure you do it instantly because the antioxidant content in its watery juice can get protoxidized almost immediately.

The mental and physical health benefits of water won’t be apparent overnight, this takes time. In fact, you need to stay consistent in this endeavor, keep drinking enough water each day, and lead an active lifestyle to witness the benefits of it both on your mind and body.

I would love to hear your thoughts and observations on the benefits of water and your mental and physical performance. Join our mental fitness matters community and join the conversation.

References:

https://www.brainmdhealth.com/blog/6-amazing-health-benefits-of-drinking-water/

https://thatsugarmovement.com/boost-your-brain-function-withwater/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-of-water

https://www.dumblittleman.com/water-and-brain-function/