10 Hacks To Drink More Water Everyday
Everyone knows that water is absolutely vital to our health and well-being. A human can go nearly three weeks without food, but water is a different story altogether. At best, a human being would last less than a week without water. This makes sense, since our bodies are almost 70% water. Water plays a huge role in the body, maintaining our electrolyte balance, lubricating our joints, regulating our body temperature, promoting cell health, and more.
But despite our universal knowledge of the importance of water, most people find it hard to consume the recommended 8 glasses a day! While making a concerted effort to do a task that should be second nature can be boring and repetitive, it doesn’t have to be difficult, armed with the right information.
Here are 10 of our best tips and tricks to help you drink more water without it feeling like such a chore:
10 HACKS TO DRINK MORE WATER
1. Set a daily goal
Intention is everything! Putting yourself in the mindset and the position to complete a task is almost as good as doing the task itself. By setting a daily water intake goal, you’re not only putting the intention of drinking more water in your head, you’re reminding yourself and motivating yourself along the way.
One of the best ways to keep track of your water intake goals is to use an app. There are a ton of apps for both Android and iOS that can give you a visual on how much water you need to drink, how much you’ve had to drink so far, and how many days you’ve successfully reached your water intake goal. There are even apps that game-ify it to motivate you further!
2. Replace other drinks with water
Another way to drink more water (and lose a bit of weight in the process, too!) is to replace all other drinks (such as soda, iced tea, or coffee) with just water.
While these drinks feel thirst-quenching, they’re not as hydrating and usually full of sugar. Consuming all that liquid sugar isn’t just bad for your health, it also makes you gain weight without your noticing. By replacing other drinks water, you’re not only drinking more water and getting yourself healthier, you might also be helping yourself cut the sugar and lose weight too!
3. Drink a glass of water before eating
Drinking a glass of water before each meal is an effective way to drink more water, especially if you eat 3 meals a day and have snacks in-between. That’s 4-5 added cups of water to your daily water intake, more than half of an average person’s daily goal!
Not to mention, sometimes when we’re hungry, we’re actually just thirsty. Drinking a glass of water before eating can help you figure out whether you were actually hungry, or just craving an ice-cold glass of water. Another excellent way to cut calories and shed those extra pounds!
4. Flavor your water
Some people might find it ridiculous, but there’s a whole group of people out there who just don’t like the taste of water. Too bland, maybe? If you’re one of these people, try adding a bit of excitement to your pitcher by flavoring your water with fruits, herbs, and veggies.
There are a ton of interesting and delicious combinations out there! Try Apricot-Mint water or a Ginger-Lemon brew. The longer you let the fruits and veggies steep, the more flavorful your water.
5. Drink a glass of water per hour at work
If you want to be consistent about it, you can drink more water by drinking a glass of water per hour at work. Why? Well, if the standard number of work hours in a day is 8 hours, and the standard recommended amount of water to drink a day is 8 glasses, then by drinking a glass of water per hour at work, you’ll be done with your daily intake by the time the clock strikes 5pm!
6. Drink a glass when you wake up and before bed
Another super easy way to drink more water, you can boost your water intake by making it a habit to drink one glass when you wake up and another before you head to sleep.
This is especially useful for people with ultra-busy schedules, as bookending your days with a glass of water might take the pressure off having to constantly remember to down a glass throughout the day. This habit has a host of other benefits too, as a glass of ice-cold water in the morning helps wake you up and gets you alert, while drinking water before bed helps your organs with the internal processes they perform while you sleep.
Added bonus: drinking water before bed usually keeps morning breath and dry mouth at bay.
7. Drink a glass of water while waiting
You know those small moments of waiting that we’re forced to deal with in our day-to-day lives? Waiting in line at a coffee shop maybe, or waiting for the pasta in the pot to boil, or waiting for the printer to finish printing all your documents. These small instances of waiting can be the best time to drink a glass of water!
So, next time you’re in your office and waiting for the coffee to brew? Chug a glass of water instead of staring into space! The practice not only helps you drink a TON of water, but it also helps you to be mindful of your surroundings and keeps you grounded in the present.
8. Drink water from a marked tumbler
If you don’t like the idea of refilling a glass 8 times a day, consider buying a marked tumbler and making it a goal to finish a specific amount of water by the end of the day.
Start by thinking ahead and estimating how much water you should be drinking everyday. Then, fill a large bottle with that amount and make it a goal to finish the bottle before the end of the day. If having a giant water bottle is a little overwhelming for you (or too heavy to cart around), you can use a smaller water bottle and break down your intake to make it more manageable.
For example, if your daily water intake goal was 2L, you could buy a 1L tumbler and make sure to empty the tumbler twice. You can make it even more efficient by setting a time limit! For example, “I have to finish 1L before noon, and another 1L before going to bed.”
By having a marked tumbler, you’ll know exactly how much water you’re drinking, and know exactly how much water you’ll need to drink for the rest of the day to complete your water intake goal. For maximum efficiency, don’t forget to refill your bottle every night before going to bed, so that by the next day you’re all set and ready to go.
9. Eat water-rich foods
Another hack to get more water in you is to eat foods that are high in water. These are usually fruits and vegetables. Lettuce, for example, is a whopping 96% water! Celery, Zucchini, Cabbage, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, and Honeydew Melon are some of the other fruits that are more than 90% water, and offer not just hydration benefits, but overall health benefits too. Most fruits and vegetables that have a high fluid content are jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are crazy good for you.
This hack is another great one for people trying to lose weight, as water-rich fruits and veggies will help you stay fuller for longer, keeping your from mindless snacking throughout the day.
10. Never leave the house or office without a full tumbler of water
Don’t ever leave the house without a full (re-usable!) bottle of water in your bag. This is one of the best things you can do to help yourself to drink more water, since a lot of the time people don’t drink water simply because it’s not within reach. Keeping a reusable water bottle with you throughout your day means you’ll have water with you no matter what you’re doing, whether you’re running errands, working at the office, or traveling around a new country.
Plus, having a bottle handy gives you the visual cue to drink water. Just seeing the water bottle on your person will remind you that you have to drink more water, especially if it’s sitting on your desk still full by the end of the day.
Not to mention, since you’re eliminating your need for single-use plastic bottles, it’s absolutely amazing for the environment!
Stay Hydrated, Stay Happy
While staying hydrated is usually a challenge—what with busy work schedules, the desire to drink something a little less bland and boring, or the fear of having to go to the bathroom every hour—we all know how necessary water is for our overall health and well-being. It’s a universal truth that making the effort to drink more water is one of the best things you can do for your body.
And just like we’ve mentioned, you don’t have to turn your life upside down to drink more water! Armed with the above strategies for drinking more water, we hope from this point on you’ll find it way easier to get hydrated, stay hydrated, and live a better, healthier lifestyle.
