You’re sitting at work and suddenly it hits you: Your head is throbbing, you’re feeling a little out of it, and your mouth… well, it’s pretty dry. “I should probably get a drink of water,” you think to yourself. But according to science, when the physical symptoms hit, you’re already dehydrated. 

The consequences of being dehydrated can have an impact inside and outside the office. “People who are dehydrated feel more tired: If you are dehydrated in the late afternoon, you may decide to skip the gym after work. If you do go, you are likely to do less and enjoy it less,” Ron Maughan, Ph.D., a professor of medical and biological sciences at the University of St. Andrews, tells Thrive. “We know, too, that mental performance and concentration are impaired by dehydration.” 

If drinking more water throughout the day sounds like too tough a task, know that your Microstep — drink one glass of water when you wake up in the morning — will get you on the right track and help you build better hydration habits over time. If you’re a coffee lover and the thought of drinking cold or room temperature water first thing in the AM makes you queasy, try adding lemon to a mug of warm water before reaching for your caffeine.

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