People are adopting this 'three-drink theory' as their favorite desk habit for better productivity

Sometimes, the internet feels like a blessing because of how it makes our lives simple. People have shared many instances of hacks and trends from social media that have been beneficial in real life. A recent trend going viral on TikTok since 2021 is the "Three drink theory." Its genesis, however, was in an article written by Amanda Mull for The Atlantic titled, "Always Have Three Beverages." After over a decade of personal research, Mull proposed a new desk rule for work: having ideally three beverages. Apart from water and a caffeine source, Mull suggested keeping juice, soda, kombucha or even a glass of wine by one's side.

Mull has a purpose for each drink to have at our desks. While we know that water is a great source of hydration, we also need to keep in mind that water keeps a person undistracted. If we don't quench our thirst while at work, Mull says we tend to get distracted. Hence, the water. When it comes to the caffeine source, it is supposed to serve its obvious purpose: to keep people awake. So, as per Mull's research, caffeine is a must on the desk. The third source is our wild card. The third beverage is meant to give us random pleasure in our monotonous day. When we feel disengaged from work, it's the juice, soda or other fun drinks that would "return some humanity" as per Mull.

Not sure if Mull's article had any influence, but this trend took shape in 2021 when Sophia Wilson Pelton shared about this on TikTok. "To me, the height of luxury is drinking three liquids at once - one for fun, one for hydration and then one for energy," Pelton said in the video. "It could be water match, spin, drift. It could even be water vodka or Red Bull. It could be bloody mary, coffee, water or whatever you want," they added. Reasoning out why they called this "three-drink" approach a luxury, Pelton mentioned that it made them feel like they "have it all," and that they were "living large" like a prince. Giving Mull's concept a little twist, Pelton said that the three drinks were to, "caffeinate, alleviate and hydrate."

Thanks to a six-second video shared by queer anti-disciplinary writer and designer Annika Hansteen-Izora on the "three drink theory," the trend continued in 2022 also. The video gave us a glimpse of Hansteen-Izora's work desk which had three drinks including water, kombucha and juice. "Preparing to work by gathering my small army of emotional support beverages," the text overlay read. With Mull claiming the "three-drink theory" to make us less distracted and Pelton claiming it to be a luxurious experience, Hansteen-Izora considered it as emotional support.

Another perspective on the benefits of this three-drink rule was shared by Emma last month. Being a running enthusiast who has a degree in nutrition, Emma looked at the rule as a way to achieve productivity at work. She mentioned in the text overlay, "All girlies know the 'three-drink' rule. One drink for hydration, one drink for caffeination and one drink just for funsies. This is the recipe for productivity." So, turns out the "three drink theory" has been raging for a few years now and is here to stay as long as people enjoy its benefits.