Why Staying Properly Hydrated Helps You Feel Less Stressed

It’s the beginning of September, and that means the pace of life quickens for many of us: it’s back to school or uni, or more time in the office. Extra academic, work or social demands and adjusting to a new routine can make this a stressful time of year. Maybe you are facing the challenges of being a fresher, or starting a new job. 

There is plenty of advice about how to manage stress, but there might be one simple factor that you are overlooking: drinking enough water. A new study by researchers at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) reveals just how powerful hydration can be in managing our biological stress response. 

Here’s a look at what they found — and how ORS hydration tablets can help you stay on top form, even when life gets hectic. 

 

Stress and hydration: a controlled experiment 

Researchers from LJMU conducted a controlled study with two groups: one that habitually drank below 1.5 litres of water per day, and another that met the European Food Safety Authority’s guidelines of about 2 litres for women and 2.5 litres for men.

The hydration levels for both groups was monitored for a week by collecting urine and blood samples. The participants (16 people per group) were then asked to take part in a stressful job interview with minimal preparation time. This was followed by a timed mental arithmetic test. In other words, a scenario that would give most of us anxiety dreams. 

Cortisol levels were measured before and after the stress tests. The researchers found that cortisol levels were higher in the group with lower hydration levels. 

Dr Daniel Kashi, a member of the study team, said: “Although the low fluid group did not report being thirstier than the high fluid group, they had darker and more concentrated urine, clear signs of poor hydration.”

He added: “An important observation was that poor hydration was associated with greater cortisol reactivity to the stress test. Exaggerated cortisol reactivity to stress has been associated with poor long-term health.”

This tells us that it’s not enough to wait until you feel thirsty — by then, your body is already gearing up for fight or flight mode. Instead, maintaining consistent hydration is key to reducing those exaggerated physiological stress responses.

Stress & cortisol: the link 

Cortisol is partly responsible for helping your body manage emergencies. But when cortisol levels remain elevated too long, it can contribute to long-term health concerns like weight gain, impaired immunity, heart disease, diabetes, and even depression. 

Worse still, dehydration doesn’t just elevate cortisol — it also disrupts mood and mental clarity. According to many health experts, low fluid intake can intensify anxiety, deplete “feel-good” chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, trigger fight-or-flight signals, and lead to brain fog, irritability, and sleep disturbances.

 

Why hydration tablets are a smart stress-busting solution

Dr. Kashi advises keeping a water bottle handy, especially during stressful times. However, many people can find it a struggle to remember to drink when life is busy. Plain water isn’t always appealing, and it might be more tempting to wait for a coffee break. Unfortunately, caffeine is a diuretic, and this can make dehydration worse. 

That’s where hydration tablets come into play.

Hydration made simple: Rehydration tablets offer electrolytes and essential minerals in a convenient form, with a range of delicious natural flavours to choose from. Just drop one in your water bottle and go.

Swifter hydration: Plain water is OK, but when you're sweating out stress (literally or figuratively), your body needs electrolytes like sodium and potassium to rehydrate effectively. Our tablets deliver precisely those, helping your body reabsorb water better and faster.

Consistency & routine: Building a hydration habit is easier when it’s enjoyable. With refreshing flavours and user-friendly portable packaging, hydration tablets make it simpler to sip steadily throughout the day. 

By helping you maintain steady hydration, ORS tablets can support balanced cortisol levels. This allows you to navigate those daily assaults on your blood pressure (traffic delays, urgent deadlines, unexpected Zoom meetings) with less biological overload. 

Starting your day with a glass of water mixed with an electrolyte tablet can kick-start your hydration, as well as keeping your stress hormone levels in check, your mood brighter and your mind sharper.