Losing just 1.5% of your body’s water can bring on headaches, fatigue and trouble concentrating, and most of us don’t feel thirsty until we’re already there. About half of you told us you drink 3 cups of water or less on a school day. October is a good month to change that.

October’s Daily Difference theme, Start Strong, has three parts: water, gratitude and connection. Each one takes less than 2 minutes.

1. Water
Fill your bottle before first bell and again at lunch.
With a colleague: fill both bottles on the way to duty.

2. Gratitude
Before you leave school, write down one good thing from the day. In one study, people who did this every week exercised about an hour and a half more per week than people who wrote about hassles.
With a colleague: start a gratitude board in the staff lounge.

3. Connection
Eat lunch sitting down with someone once this week. 90% of you told us you have a coworker you can count on. Go find them.

This month’s challenge
Do one of the three every school day for a week. Then scan the QR code on the October poster in your staff lounge to check in. Your check-in earns a Start Strong prize from your EatMoveGrow Health Educator.

Want a daily nudge?
Get one short text each school day after the last bell with a 60-second action. It’s free and optional, and you can stop any time.
Yes, Text Me - I'd like your support!

Ask your PE teacher
Ask your PE teacher for the 60-second movement break from the Teacher Summit. It works at the start of any staff meeting.

Small choices. Big difference.

Sources: Armstrong et al., Journal of Nutrition, 2012. Emmons and McCullough, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2003.h