How Forgetting to Drink Water Can Affect Your Education
It’s back to school season - we’re buying new school supplies, getting ready to head back to classrooms, and reunite with friends. And one of the most important things you can do for yourself this school year is remembering to stay hydrated. More specifically, remembering to drink water.
School days can get busy, and I know I’ve had my fair share of getting caught up in the mess of it all. From focusing on taking notes and completing classwork, to socializing with friends, I’ll admit that there were times I just simply forgot to drink water. I’m here to tell you today - don’t do that. Remember to drink water and stay hydrated because it’s equally important as your education. If we don’t drink enough, we become dehydrated, which can have plenty of negative effects:
It Lowers Your Immune System
Staying healthy is so important, especially during the school year (and of course, during this pandemic). When we drink water, it helps us to pump oxygen throughout our body, improving bodily functions and eliminating bacteria naturally. Thus, in return it can boost our immune system. A lot of students are stressed throughout the school year with all the work they must accomplish. The stress hormones produced can already lower their immune system, which is why it’s important to drink water to try to help maintain a healthy immune system so that we’re ready to take on the school day.
Decreases Brian Function
From learning new material to staying focused to solving problems, it’s no surprise a lot of brain power is required at school. Approximately 75% of our brain is made up of water - so when we don’t drink enough water, our brain can’t function properly. By staying hydrated, it enables us to concentrate better, boost our clarity, focus, and improves our brain function overall. All of this is necessary if we want to be successful at school; from getting called on by the teacher to taking exams, we want our brains to be alert and ready.
Lowers Your Energy
I think it’s safe to say a lot of students are tired throughout the school day (since most of us probably aren’t getting enough sleep to begin with). When we’re dehydrated, we have less energy (and will probably also experience a headache as a consequence). And obviously we want to make sure we have energy so we stay awake in class, and for extracurriculars after school like clubs and sports. This is especially important for athletes - when you sweat so much, it’s important to replenish the water and electrolytes lost. Staying hydrated can help us ward-off fatigue we may experience throughout the day.
It’s always important to stay hydrated. With that in mind, consider adding a good reusable water bottle to your back to school shopping list. It's not only better for the environment compared to single-use bottles, but it’s a lot more convenient than having to drink solely from water fountains. If you find yourself forgetting to drink water at times, you could also try setting little alarms/reminders on your phone. I had a teacher who used to do that back when I was in high school, and it proved to be super helpful for her.
Remember to drink water, and have a great school year!