E08 - Why hydration is the fuel for attention

Hi everyone,

My name is Lemmy and this is my story of how I became The Attention Master.

In Episode 8, I want to help you regulate your hydration to master attention.

Here is what you are going to learn today:

• How hydration and attention are linked

• How fluids interact with the body

• The ideal amount and timing of fluid intake

This week’s community challenge

Hydration plays a fundamental role in how our bodies function, including attention and cognitive performance. Here's why:

1. Cellular Function & Cognitive Performance

Every cellular process in our body is critically dependent on having enough electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, potassium), which are concentrated in fluid water. Without proper electrolyte balance and hydration, none of the body's cells can function, including those in our brain that are responsible for attention and focus.

Studies have shown that even 2% dehydration can lead to a significant and meaningful negative impact on our cognitive performance, including memory, concentration, creative thinking, and flexible thinking.

2. Alertness

First, fluid intake triggers elevated levels of alertness through the sympathetic arm of the autonomic nervous system. This system is activated when our cells are well hydrated and when our bladder and gut contain fluid.

Second, hydration causes our tissues to expand due to the increased fluid, and this mechanical signature is understood by our cells. This information is sent to the areas of the brain associated with arousal, making us more alert.

3. How much should I drink per day?

Here is a rough guideline for total daily fluid intake:

• Your weight in pounds (lb) x 0.5 x ounces

• Your weight in kilograms (kg) x 30ml

For example, if you weigh:

• 200lb, aim for 100 oz.

• 100kg, aim for 3000ml = 3 liters.

4. When should I drink to boost attention?

The body's fluid needs vary throughout the day. They are significantly higher from the time you wake up until about 10 hours later, compared to later in the evening and during the night.

Therefore, the recommendation is to drink 8 ounces (1oz = 30ml) of fluid every hour for the first 10 hours of the day. This guideline ensures that you're getting sufficient baseline hydration for the cells and tissues of your body.

It's important to note that this doesn't mean you need to drink exactly 8 ounces every hour, on the hour. Most people will find that they consume larger amounts of water at different times of the day. The key is to aim for a total of about 80 ounces = 2.4 liters over the 10-hour period.

5. The Protocol to take ACTION

No matter whether you work from home or at the office, get yourself a can or bottle of water that makes it easy to refill your glass. Walking to the kitchen or the next tap is friction.

Set a drinking timer for every 60-90 minutes. For best cognitive performance (as discussed here), you should not work longer than that anyways.

Measure it: All good behavior change starts with transparency. For a day or two, write down your fluid intake on a piece of paper or in your notes app. Pro tip: If you use the same glass or cup size for an entire day, counting becomes easy ;)

Every good action needs a trigger. That's why I'm providing a different visual for each community challenge. Add it to your lock screen and you'll see it every time you open your phone.

Then it's your choice: Screen time or life time?

Here's the Hydration Visual DOWNLOAD and below is a video showing you how to add it to your lock screen.

Let me know if this works for you via
our brand new Whatsapp community
& see ya next week
Lemmy

Recap:

• Community Challenge: 1 glass of water hourly until 10 hours after getting up.

• Brain cells are the “car” for thinking. The fuel for this car is the electrolyte-water balance.

• Fluid in organs (like bladder & gut) -> alertness.

• Hydration -> expanded tissues -> mechanical signal to brain -> Arousal.

• The body's fluid needs are much higher in the morning.

Sources:

• How does hydration affect the brain?

• How does hydration affect attention?

ONE MORE WAY WE CAN HELP YOU

We know that mastering your attention is extremely difficult. It's not going to happen in a day. That's why we've created Lemio, an app designed to be your personal buddy on the journey. It's still in beta, but as a subscriber to our newsletter, you can claim your exclusive access via this link:

Lemio Beta Tester Program