Hydration Challenge (21 Days)
← Best practice library
Nutrition€0 · freeunder 30 min

Hydration Challenge (21 Days)

Most people don't drink enough — and only notice it in the afternoon, when concentration fades and the headache sets in. The Hydration Challenge turns a simple appeal into a collective four-week experiment: visible, trackable, social.

What Drinking Enough Actually Changes in the Office Even mild dehydration — 1 to 2% of body weight — measurably impairs cognitive performance, reaction time, and mood. 1.5 to 2 liters of water a day sounds like an obvious recommendation, but in everyday office life with meetings, deadlines, and cold coffee, many people drink less than half of that. The Challenge gives the topic a framework and a goal: track daily, and see together who makes it.

How the Challenge Becomes a Lasting Habit The decisive tip for higher compliance: visibility. Anyone who keeps a water bottle on their desk drinks noticeably more than someone who has to get up and go to the kitchen every time. Teams that use the Challenge to create good drinking conditions — water filters, glasses, visibly placed bottles — still show a higher water intake four weeks after the Challenge ends than before.

How to put it in place

  1. 1
    Einfache Tracking-Vorlage wählen: 21-Tage-Strichliste auf Papier oder simple Handy-Erinnerung
  2. 2
    Tagesziel klar festlegen (mindestens 1,5 Liter Wasser) und niedrigschwellig kommunizieren
  3. 3
    Prüfen, ob Wasser leicht verfügbar ist – Wasserspender, Karaffen oder Flaschen bereitstellen
  4. 4
    Challenge erklären: 21 Tage bewusst trinken, jeden Tag mindestens 1,5 Liter Wasser
  5. 5
    Tracking-Vorlage verteilen und den gemeinsamen Startzeitpunkt festlegen
  6. 6
    Betonen, dass es kostenlos und einfach ist – gemeinsam die erste Flasche anstoßen
  7. 7
    Kurze tägliche oder wöchentliche Erinnerung geben (z.B. Trink-Reminder am Vormittag)
  8. 8
    Selbst sichtbar mitmachen und die eigene Wasserflasche zum Vorbild machen
  9. 9
    Zwischendurch ermutigen und kleine Hürden ansprechen – z.B. Wasser mit Zitrone oder Minze für Abwechslung
  10. 10
    Im Team abfragen, wer die 21 Tage durchgehalten hat und wie es sich angefühlt hat
  11. 11
    Reflektieren, ob bewusstes Trinken zur dauerhaften Gewohnheit geworden ist
  12. 12
    Kleine Anerkennung für alle Teilnehmenden und Idee für die nächste Mini-Challenge sammeln

What you need

Effort
under 30 min
Cost
Free
Setup
10 min
  • Free
  • Simplest tracking
  • Immediately visible

Eligible for funding: up to €600 tax-free

As part of a structured workplace health process, this measure is tax-free under § 3 no. 34 of the German Income Tax Act (EStG) up to €600 per employee per year — BGF-Kompass supplies the process. Certified offers (e.g. from Upfit) are additionally subsidised by statutory health insurers under § 20b SGB V.

Health-insurer funding & tax: how to apply →

Adopt it for your company

Register for free — and the measure is ready to go in your cockpit: invitation, feedback survey and appointment are already set up. First cycle, first numbers for the boss.

Start for free now

Rather take a look first? To the live demo →

Contributes to

Establish healthy food offerings

Measure the impact with

Ernährungs-Puls (Kurzbefragung)

Action field

Nutrition

A fitting occasion

Related best practices

Not sure where to start? 5-minute self-check →

BGF-Kompass covers German workplace health promotion (BGF): funding paths, figures and legal references (e.g. § 20b SGB V, § 3 No. 34 EStG, the statutory-health-insurer prevention guidelines) apply to Germany.