Does anyone else have trouble getting enough water in while at work? I'm in an "essential" position meaning I never got to work from home during covid so I've been dutifully going in to work every day. That's not a big deal really as my workplace is doing a pretty good job keeping everyone safe and healthy. However most of my day (>90%) I spend working in a lab where food and drinks are prohibited. The closest I can keep my water bottle is on a little table near the front door. When things aren't too busy it isn't so bad for me to regularly step away from the bench and walk over for a sip. The problem lately though is that we are stupid busy and I find myself with less than 32 ounces so far for the day when leaving to go home. I know the obvious answer is to just remember to get up and go drink something and I am trying. Just wondering if anyone else is dealing with a similar situation.

Because you're so recently out of surgery, I feel like, in your case, you may want to try to bring it up with your manager to see about getting water breaks. Think smoke breaks, but... you know... healthy?

If that's not doable, just do your best to drink what you can before and after work. I know it's difficult when you're in a work environment, but water is very important, especially after surgery.

It is hard for me to get in enough at work, as well, since I am in a clinical area. What I do is drink 16 oz of herbal tea as soon as I get up, and I try to get another 16 oz in on my way to work. By the time I get there, it is time to pee off the first mug. I then try to get 16 oz during the day, and then 16 oz again in the evening. By keeping on this schedule, I can get 64 oz in on a work day.

1 hour ago, AZhiker said:

It is hard for me to get in enough at work, as well, since I am in a clinical area. What I do is drink 16 oz of herbal tea as soon as I get up, and I try to get another 16 oz in on my way to work. By the time I get there, it is time to pee off the first mug. I then try to get 16 oz during the day, and then 16 oz again in the evening. By keeping on this schedule, I can get 64 oz in on a work day.

Wow, that's excellent!

I have a very similar situation (except I was fortunate to be able to work mostly from home for the first couple of months after my surgery, but I have to be on site full-time now in a setting where I can’t have food or beverages). I’ve also been insanely busy this week and have had very little time to take water breaks. All I can really do is make sure to drink water when I get the chance, like on my way to and from work, and a big cup of tea at bedtime. It also helps to have a protein shake for lunch because that counts towards fluids in addition to a nice amount of protein. I don’t know if your job is like this, but I usually have some paperwork to wrap up at the end of the day, which I can do in an area that I can have food and beverages, so I drink some water while I’m doing that. I make myself finish a water bottle before I go home, so there’s an incentive.

Thanks for the ideas and insight. I'm off today, but I'll be trying some of these out on Monday.