Contemplations at the Water Cooler in the New Year

Contemplations at the Water Cooler in the New Year

It may well seem a bit of a late start to speak of New Year now in the third week of it, but it’s just been that type of start – slow and steady wins the race.

If, like many of us, you’ve really struggled with the dreaded New Year’s Resolutions this year, or quite simply, you just can’t be asked, never fear, we have the solution. We have compiled an amusing and sometimes witty selection of resolutions and opinions about resolutions on the off chance you’d like to adopt any of them or share then with the world at large. (Or have a witty one liner to riposte with should someone take you to task about the dreaded tradition). Or to cheer up your compadres at the water cooler as you gather round to make a dent in all that festive season cheer now you’re back in the office and are in need of constant hydration.

“Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.” ~ Mark Twain

“A new year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”  ~ Anonymous

“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions.”  ~ Joey Adams

“This year, let’s resolve to make better bad decisions.”  ~ someecards

New Year’s Resolution. This year I’m going to incorporate “I don’t roll that way” into at least one conversation a week. ~ Colin Quinn (@iamcolinquinn)

Whether you choose to go the resolute route or no, here at AquAid Water Coolers, we wish you a wonderful New Year!Bottom of FormTop of FormBottom of Form

The  Positive Impact Good Hydration has on your Organisation

The Positive Impact Good Hydration has on your Organisation

Irrespective of an organisation’s size or how many people are employed, there is an inescapable element that affects productivity among all in the workplace.

Lack of adequate hydration affects a staggering nine out of ten Britons. This is due to a number of factors, however, a crucial part of this may be due to a work culture that perpetuates working without taking breaks, eating and drinking at one’s desk and most significantly not having a water cooler in the office or water dispenser station on the premises.

Research shows that a body water loss as little as 1 to 2% could be considered mild dehydration and already negatively affecting cognitive performance.

With a 2013 study showed that drinking water resulted in a 14% increase in productivity* a practical, cost-effective solution is the installation of a water cooler of sufficient capacity based on the size of the staff contingent, dispensing refreshing drinking water on demand.

AquAid has a solution. Take advantage of their 25 years’ experience and dedication in providing their very best in products and service to more than 33,000 customers across 22 branches across the UK.

*Sources: Habitgrowth

Tips to Maintain Cooler Weather Hydration

Tips to Maintain Cooler Weather Hydration

Maintaining good hydration habits is generally easier when the weather is warm. Oftentimes though, these habits can be difficult when the weather turns cool.

How we combat this trend though is actually easier than we think.

Make drinking water convenient.  Installing a water cooler at your work premises, office, warehouse, medical or educational facility is a sure-fire way to ensure you have constant access to refreshing drinking water.

At AquAid, we offer a no-obligation, free on-site survey to assess what water dispenser needs you have and what combination of hot water boilers, bottle-fed water coolers or mains-fed water coolers best suit your requirements.

App your drinking water. You read that right. Use your mobile as your drink water alarm clock or download one of the many apps designed for just this purpose.

Turn up the temperature. If you’re the type of person that loathes drinking cold water, there is a solution. Warm up your water! If you have an AquAid hot water dispenser or hot water boiler installed, heating your drinking water isn’t even necessary! Just dispense, add your preferred brew or fruit slice and away you go.

Hydration on hand. Whether you have access to a water cooler or boiler or not, an effective reminder is to keep a reusable water bottle or water glass on your desk as well as a tote able water bottle with you when you’re on the move and/or if you rely on public transport. Otherwise, also keep a refillable water bottle in your car/lorry/van.

Water Health & Well-Being – Hydrate the Brain

Water Health & Well-Being – Hydrate the Brain

In our very rushed lives, it would seem the simplest action oftentimes becomes the most difficult.

Take your water intake for example.  Aside from every being alive requiring water to simply survive, let alone flourish, it’s a pretty sad state of affairs in which we often find ourselves. Somehow, on a daily basis, one of the most necessary functions most vital to our well-being is oft ignored.

It’s a foregone conclusion that we require water for each of our body organs to function at an optimum level – from nail growth through to how well our brain operates.

When it comes to brain health, sufficient water intake is essential, especially considering the fact that your grey matter is made up of 75% water.

So how does hydration and dehydration affect brain health?

Our brains consist of billions of neurons that regulate everything from core temperature to perspiration. Because the brain is made up mostly of water, it makes sense that this organ won’t work as efficiently when it is water deficient.

Proper hydration can literally improve mood.  Drinking water makes us feel so refreshed that it actually improves our state of mind.  You don’t even have to be severely in need of it to benefit: even mild dehydration has been shown to negatively affect moods.

On the reverse of that, if your brain is dehydrated, it affects motor and cognitive skills: symptoms including irritability, sluggishness and an inability to think straight. Dehydration also showed a strong link to poor memory. When you’re water deficient, it’s hard to stay focused on a certain task.

Drinking water can combat headaches naturally. Going without water for too long causes headaches for some people, and has been identified as a migraine trigger. The good news is that in a study on the effects of water on headaches, participants experienced ‘total relief’ from their headaches within 30 minutes of drinking water (two cups, on average).

It can be a short cut to keeping alert.  If you need to concentrate for long periods of time, keeping water handy will help you stay refreshed, hydrated, and focused: dehydration can impair your attention span, memory, and motor skills.

Want to think more clearly? Drink water (more than you’re drinking now).  Dehydration causes shrinkage of brain tissue.  So when we haven’t been drinking enough water, our brains have to work a lot harder to perform at the same level.  One study even found that students who brought water to tests did better on their exams.

At AquAid, we’re well-versed about how important a sufficient water intake is to our health and well-being. Which is why, when it comes to water dispensers, we will always give you the best advice about which water cooler is the right fit for your office, workspace, work site, medical or educational facility.

Contact us at your convenience. Allow us to provide you with the benefit of over 23 years’ experience while we guide you to which AquAid water cooler from our extensive range will help you keep brain alert, happy and healthy.

AquAid celebrates the International Day of Charity

AquAid celebrates the International Day of Charity

Today is the International Day of Charity. As an organisation, AquAid, with our focus on giving back since our inception in 1998, acknowledging this day is immensely significant.

For over twenty-two years, AquAid has donated a portion of revenue to charities, predominantly to both Christian Aid and The Africa Trust.

Founded in 1941, the mission of Christian Aid is to eradicate the causes of poverty, striving to achieve equality, dignity and freedom for all, regardless of faith or nationality. AquAid have supported Christian Aid for more than twenty years, donating over £3.7 million to water and capacity building projects around the world.

Since its formation in 2010, The Africa Trust has worked tirelessly to create sustainable solutions that include establishing supplies of clean, productive drinking water and decent sanitation to thousands of communities in water scarce regions across Africa. Wealth creation is another important objective, with business skills training helping school leavers and villagers to start or expand profitable businesses.

This year’s International Day of Charity resonates even more so with all of us at AquAid as the company has recently reached donations exceeding £19 million. This amount has enabled us to provide life-changing assistance to more than 3 million people around the globe and predominantly throughout Africa.

We would like to dedicate this achievement to Paul Searle, AquAid’s Founder, Managing Director and Chairman, whose faith and unquenchable spirit was the driving force that kept AquAid growing and expanding for over two decades, all while never losing sight of the importance of contributing to charity.

Should you too wish to partner with AquAid in this continuing commitment to charity while keeping your organisation hydrated, please contact us – we will be happy to assist.

The Soothing Power of Water

The Soothing Power of Water

This is not, as one might deduce from the heading, a blog about drinking refreshing water from your water cooler, but rather about steps that you can take when you’re convinced that you’re about to have a meltdown rivalling that of Chernobyl.

  1. Close your eyes (preferably, not when you’re driving your lorry). Gently let the world disappear, and go within to regain your equilibrium. This makes sense as when one thinks of how much information one is exposed to every waking minute of the day – mobiles; TVs; iPads, iPhones; Social Media – it can be a blessed relief to switch off that constant input for a little while – and not just while one is sleeping. Consciously closing one’s eyes and drifting off can calm ones frayed nerves immensely.
  2. Go outside. This can be easier said than done, as we don’t all have the luxury of a village green, common or park near us, but you can try to find a safe(ish) open area with a bit of grass or a bench where you’re not jammed in cheek to jowl with other equally stressed human beings.
  3. Breathe deeply. Breathing is the foundation of sanity. It is the way we provide our brain and every other vital organ in our body with the oxygen needed for us to survive. Breathing also eliminates toxins from our systems. One of the simplest ways to calm the nerves is to stay still (sitting or standing) and breath in through the nose, mouth closed, deep into the stomach, and exhale, again, through the nose, mouth closed. Repeat 3x.
  4. Find some water. Whether it’s a local pond or a gentle babbling brook, being close to running water is very calming. On inclement days where you can’t really venture outside, take a shower and imagine (albeit briefly) that you’re on some tropical island underneath a waterfall.
  5. Drink water. When you’re overwrought, keep drinking it – a big glass of it once an hour. Walk beside some water, look at and listen to it. Get into some if you can, for a bath or a swim. Hot baths and hot springs are popular for good reasons.

Of course, AquAid being one of the UK’s top water cooler suppliers, to offices, workplaces and private residences, we don’t recommend using your water dispenser to mimic the wonderfully soothing sound of gently running water, but then … you knew that.