If you’re anything like me, then you probably find yourself dehydrated on a regular basis. Because even though drinking enough water seems like an easy task, sometimes it’s not.
Maybe you forget, maybe you don’t really like the taste, or maybe you just don’t want to (all of these reasons apply to me, in case you were wondering).
But no matter what your reasons are, if you’re suffering from dehydration on a regular basis then you probably need to learn to drink more water.
So here are a few tips that can help with that, all of which have been tested by me!
1. Add Some Flavor To Your Water
Particularly if your aversion to drinking water stems from the flavor, adding some different tastes to your water could really help encourage you to increase your intake. But even if you don’t “dislike” the taste, this trick can still help make drinking enough water more of a fun task to complete.
Plus, there’s a lot of different ways to do this. So you can feel free to experiment and find something that works for you.
For instance, some of the many ideas I’ve come across online include…
- Putting fruit slices in your water
- Adding small amounts of juice to your water in order to give it a slight flavor
- Flavoring and coloring the ice you put in your water
- And using premade flavor packets that you can buy from the store
Personally, I went for the low effort option and started buying some syrups to add to my water. I’ve tried a couple of different flavors so far, but my favorite has been pineapple!
And if you’d like to read about even more flavoring suggestions, check out this article by Everyday Health!
2. Make Hydrating A Habit
Those of us that rarely hydrate ourselves might have a hard time learning to drink more water because it simply isn’t a part of our daily routines. So, we need to find ways to include the act of drinking more water in our everyday activities.
For example, I’ve started making it a habit to drink a glass of water every morning when I wake up. It’s the first thing I do after I get out of bed! And it results in about eight ounces of water that I’ve permanently added to my daily intake.
This worked well for me, because I have a hard time waking myself up in the mornings. So not only have I begun to drink more water after forming this habit, but I’ve also found a way to get my brain going after a long rest.
For you, the habits may look a little different. If you like to exercise, then maybe you could start drinking a glass of water after every workout. If you enjoy reading, then you could make it a goal to take a few sips of water every time you turn the page.
In short, just find something that works for you. And remember that it can take well over two weeks of completing the same task every day for it to officially become a habit!
3. Always Keep Water On Hand
If you find that you only ever drink your water from a glass, as many people do, it may be at the core of your dehydration. Because chances are, there are limited times throughout the day where you actually have access to a glass of water.
To combat this, you could start bringing water bottles along with you throughout the day. Either the cheap plastic ones you can get from the store, or maybe even a reliable water jug that you can fill up and use time after time.
These types of water bottles are sold in many different sizes and colors, although many people prefer to buy ones that can hold an entire day’s worth of water. Because it makes it easier for them to track their intake.
I’ve used a few different versions in the past, but my favorite so far has been a half-gallon bottle with a drinking schedule on it.
And one final tip for keeping water on hand, which I learned about while reading Today’s article on this topic, is to have water in every space that you use regularly.
A fresh glass of water in your office, to encourage drinking while you work. A glass beside your bed to sip on if you wake up thirsty. A bottle that you can grab on your way out the door, to have a little hydration on the go. Etc…
4. Find Ways To Remind Yourself To Hydrate
The next tip I have for you, is to figure out a way to keep yourself accountable on your hydration journey. Because as I mentioned earlier in this post, one of the biggest reasons people become dehydrated is due to them simply forgetting to drink until they get thirsty.
And in case you didn’t know, according to this article by the Baylor College of Medicine as well as many other sources, if you’re noticing that you feel parched then you’re probably already dehydrated!
So, outside of waiting on yourself to realize you need water, here are a few ways that you can remind yourself to hydrate…
- Take advantage of things like sticky notes, and leave little messages to yourself in high traffic areas of your home to “Drink your water!”
- Find a friend or family member to help keep you accountable. You could challenge each other to stay hydrated, or if they already drink enough water then they could simply check in occasionally to find out what your water intake has been.
- And my personal favorite technique, you could set a few alarms on your phone that will go off throughout certain parts of the day and remind you to drink some water if you haven’t already.
But remember that once you make drinking enough water a habit, you probably won’t even need to remind yourself as frequently.
5. Mix Water Into Your Other Beverages
Similarly to flavoring your water, another fun way to increase your intake is to mix it in with other beverages. Particularly your favorite ones!
Obviously this may be hard, if not downright disgusting, to do with drinks like soda or alcohol. But with other beverages, such as juice or tea… it could be done without changing the taste of the original drink too much.
And you could always play around with the ratio you want to use. Some people might only add a little water to the mix, while others may be able to enjoy a half-and-half ratio.
No matter how much water you’re adding though, it will still help to increase the amount of water you’re drinking. And it also cuts down on your sugar intake to some extent, which is an added bonus!
I use this technique whenever I drink tea, and I’m so accustomed to it now that I don’t even notice the difference in taste. But if you’re just starting out, you could even just use some ice to dilute your drink slightly. And work your way up with how much water you’re adding over time.
Commonly Asked Questions About Drinking Enough Water
But now that we’ve covered some tips for drinking more water, allow me to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about hydration!
What are some signs of dehydration?
In adults, signs of dehydration can include the following…
- A lack of urination and/or dark-colored urine
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Fatigue
- And of course, feelings of severe thirst
What are the benefits of drinking enough water?
Water is something that almost every part of our body uses to function, so the benefits of staying properly hydrated are endless! And they range from keeping us alive and healthy to increasing our cognitive function. Plus, as an added bonus, it helps to keep our skin looking clear and healthy!
How much water should you drink a day?
The optimal amount of water you should aim to drink per day will depend on many factors; including your gender, height, weight, and activity level.
But in general, males need about fifteen cups of water per day whereas females need about eleven cups. And… considering most of us get some water from our food, other beverages, etc; most of us need to aim for drinking around four to six cups of plain water per day.
If you’d like an even more detailed estimation of how much water you need personally, I did find this hydration calculator on Everyday Health.
