We all know that drinking enough water is very good for us. We also know that most of us don’t drink enough water (drinking enough water can be a very difficult task for some reason). Personally, I don’t want people telling me I need to drink enough water, but I want people to actually give me practical advice on how to drink more water in different scenarios. I personally struggle to drink enough water, so I tried to come up with a few tips to help you out.
I am actually giving out A LOT of tips, but I don’t want you to get overwhelmed. I actually advise you to choose 2 or 3 tips and put them into practice, and see if they work for you. Try to stick with them. If they don’t work for you, try something else. But do not try to actually put into practice every single one of them. There is no need, and you will probably get tired and give up after a day or two.
How to Drink More Water – Actionable Steps
So, here is my (extensive) list of tips on how to drink more water:
- The most important thing is to start NOW. There is a quote that says, “Start simple, start now.” So get up, get a glass of water, and drink it before reading further.
- Really, drink a full glass!
- Buy a reusable water bottle. There are different types of water bottles, the best is up to you to choose based on properties such as weight, strength, insulation (ability to keep the water hot or cold), etc., and other aspects such as design. Personally, I don’t like to spend much on water bottles, as I have lost a couple of them. Always bring it with you, literally.
- Simple plastic bottles. The cheapest and easiest option, however not recommended as the plastic can degrade and it can contaminate your water.
- Plastic bottles (BPA-free). These are some of the most affordable ones. Howeber, they can retain flavors and odors.
- Stainless steel bottles. They are very durable, they retain the temperature for a long time, they can be a little heavier than other bottles.
- Glass bottles. They are very easy to break, they are very heavy. You can also add a protective silicone layer. They are however very environmentally friendly and recyclable.
- Collapsible bottles. These are flexibles bottles that you can fold or roll.
- Aluminum bottles. Very lightweight
- Filtered water bottles. These bottles have a filter in the design. They are much more expensive than other bottles.
- And many more…
- Set reminders.
- Set the reminders with an app to drink more water
- Put reminders around the house (for example by putting sticky notes around your home office, fridge, etc).
- Set reminders with your phone’s alarm
- Keep track. You can keep track, again with an app, or you can just write it down in your phone notes or in paper. I don’t really keep track, but it might be useful in the beginning if you need to know where you are at and what quantity of water you are trying to reach.
- Download an app to drink more water. There are tons of free water drinking apps. I have found that after a while they can get quite annoying, but it can be good at first to make you develop thirst if you have not been drinking much water for a while. They can include different functionalities such as tracking your water intake, reminders, and more tips.
- Drink a glass of water when you wake up. Try to set this up as an habit, by doing it every morning. You can try to put the glass next to your bed so you don’t have an excuse to not wanting to get out of bed when you wake up, plus it can help you to freshen up to wake up.
- Get a water filter. Not only can it make water taste and smell better, but also it can make you save a ton of money if you need to constantly buy bottled water. There are also water filter jars and water bottles that filter water (they are expensive!). This was definitely a game changer for me because I did not like the way tap water tasted and the filter helps to get rid of most of the taste and smell. (However, check that your tap water is safe to drink!)
- Flavor your water: I am personally not a fan, but you can try adding some lemon. There are also products meant to give water some taste to make you more likely to drink it, such as powders and liquids.
- Try to drink more water at work or school. When I get bored in a lecture, I try to drink more water. There might even be some free water filters or water dispensers at your job or your school/university. It can also give you an excuse to get up and move a little if you are sitting all day, or to take a short break. It is very common for people to not drink water at all during the day and only drink water once they eat lunch.
- At coffee breaks, also drink water! If you have a coffee break and you usually only drink coffee, try to take some sips of water. Coffee can actually dehydrate you.
- You might want to take a sip of water every time you finish a task, or at every hour of study. If you use the Pomodoro technique, for example, try to drink water at every break.
- Have water bottles with you around the house. Keep one on your nightstand.
- In some restaurants, you can ask for free tap water without any charge. It also depends on your country.
- Always bring a water bottle with you. For me, water bottles have now become my emotional support. I have to bring them with me everywhere because otherwise, I panic at the thought of getting thirsty without having water with me. I mostly put my water bottle in my bag and always refill it before leaving the house. This way, I can even drink water during my bus or train commute. Sometimes, I even carry my water bottle with me everywhere around the house.
- Drink water after every bathroom break.
- Do some sports. It might make you thirsty and force you to drink water! If you can’t bring a water bottle with you (for example, if you are going on a run), try to drink water before and after doing exercise.
- Make it so that the first thing you do when you come home is to drink a glass of water.
- Drink water before going to sleep. Personally, I don’t like to drink water before going to bed, as it makes me wake up during the night to go to the bathroom and I feel like it worsens my quality of sleep. I actually avoid drinking water an hour before going to sleep, and I make sure to go to the bathroom before going to bed.
Reminders
- Reminder 1: You have to clean your water bottles! How and how often really depends on your bottle type, so you can follow the manufacturer’s indication or do some research online.
- Reminder 2: Replace your water bottle when it is time. Water bottles do not last forever, even if they are reusable.
- Reminder 3: If you are traveling to a different country, always remember to inquire about the safety of drinking tap water.
Drinking enough water can be a difficult self-care task, even though it sounds very simple. Don’t feel like a failure if you don’t reach your goals. Start small and do your best. Even drinking a little is better than not drinking a single glass of water.
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