10 Tips to Help You Drink More Water Everyday
Most of us already know we should drink more water everyday. And if you don’t know, let me tell you, you should be drinking more water everyday! And if you’re asking why? Then go ahead and read this post and come back when your done 😉
So we know we should do it but most of us still don’t. I was one of those people. At the beginning of the year, I made a commitment to drink more water in an effort to improve my overall health. This small lifestyle change made a much bigger, positive impact on my health than I was expecting. Because of that, it’s one of the first steps I recommend to others who are struggling with living a healthy lifestyle. It’s simple, it’s cheap and it’s the perfect way to start taking better care of yourself.
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We need to make drinking the water our bodies need a daily habit. I read somewhere that it takes 21 days to break a habit. Well, I’m a firm believer that if you can make a small commitment to do something everyday for at least 21 days in a row you can create a habit. So in order to make a change that lasts for the long haul we need to make it a habit.
It’s really hard to make something a habit if you don’t have a plan of action. Most people will decide that they’re going to to do something but they never actually do it. Or they’ll do it for two or three days until something distracts them. Have you ever heard the saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail“? Those are true words of wisdom. So below are my top ten tips that you can use to make a plan to create a healthy habit of drinking more water everyday.
1 | Get Motivated
So we talked about habit, now let’s talk about motivation. In order to make changes in your life, you have to be motivated. Why do you want to drink more water? Is it to lose weight? To have more energy? To have glowing skin? Whatever your reason is, you have to want it enough to do the things required to attain it. If you need some motivation read this post about the benefits of drinking more water.
2 | Remind Yourself
You might be thinking right now that this is kind of a lame tip. But let me explain. I’m not talking about mentally reminding yourself (although that is something we should try to do). I know for me I can tell myself in my head that I’m going to do something but if that’s all I do then 3 days later I’ve forgotten all about it. I’m talking about visual reminders. Write yourself a note to drink more water and stick it on the fridge. Find an image on Pinterest like this one that reminds you to drink more water and save it as a background on your phone. So that way when you get distracted, as we all do, you won’t have to rely on yourself to remind yourself 😉
3 | Create a Goal
Instead of having a generic goal to drink more water everyday, make it more specific. For me, my goal is to drink 60 ounces of water everyday. Somedays I drink a little less but most days I actually drink a lot more. The general rule when it comes to how much water you should be drinking daily is not eight glasses a day. You should be drinking half of your body weight in ounces. For example if you weigh 150lbs you should be drinking 75oz of water a day. So do the math and make that your long term goal.
4| Start Small
The key to making huge changes in your life is to start small. You want to create small goals that are easier to reach and increase those goals little by little over time. This ensures that you are not setting yourself up for failure. If you’re only drinking a glass or two of water a day, I would recommend drinking 20oz of water everyday for the first week and then increase the amount of water an additional 20oz the next week and keep increasing by 20oz every week until you’ve met your goal. This is how I did it and I found the more water I drank the more my body craved water which made it simple to continue increasing my water intake.
5 | Buy a Cute Water Bottle
Okay, it doesn’t have to be cute but I do recommend you buy yourself a water bottle. Preferably, one that holds 20oz of water ( I use this one). If your using my advice from tip #4 and increasing your water intake by 20oz increments, this will make it so much easier to track how much water you’re drinking. Also, having a good, sturdy water bottle makes it easier to take it with you wherever you go. And having water available at all times will definitely help you to drink more water. Also going back to tip #2, constantly having your water bottle with you serves as a great reminder to drink more water. Check out these super cute water bottles. I’m obsessed ?
6 | Drink Water First Thing in the Morning
Right when I wake in the morning I drink an entire 20oz bottle of water. I made a commitment to do it and now it’s a habit. Before I have breakfast, coffee or tea I make myself finish all 20 ounces. That way at the start of my day I’m a third of the way to my goal. Drinking water first thing in the morning has amazing health benefits which you can read about here. Part of that 20oz also includes some warm water with fresh lemon juice which has many great health benefits as well, which you can read about here.
7 | Keep Your Water Bottle by Your Bed
How many times have you woke up in the middle of the night thirsty but you were to tired to get up and get a drink? This solves that problem. Plus, it’s a super simple, no-brainer way to increase your water consumption.
8 | Drink a Glass of Water Before Every Meal
If you drink a glass of water before each meal, this will not only help you to drink more water throughout the day but it will help you to feel fuller so you won’t eat at as much, which will help you lose weight. So if you’re the one preparing the meal, sip on some water while you cook or at meal time trade your glass of coke or milk or whatever it is you usually drink with a refreshing glass of water.
9 | Use an App
There are many free apps available specifically designed to help you drink more water. A few of my favorites are Ihydrate, Water Log, and Daily Water Balance Tracker. A quick search in the app store and you’ll discover the many different options available. They all have similar features which include the ability to track the amount of water you are drinking on a daily basis and notifications to remind you to drink more water.
10 | Spruce it Up
I love water. Water is the only thing that truly quenches my thirst. But I know there are people out there who say they hate water. So if you’re one of those people there are a few different things you can do to make your water yummier. You can squeeze some lemon into your water or you can create fruit-infused water to satisfy your taste buds. Click here for some delicious recipes.
So now that you are equipped with the information and tools you need to reach your goal, take the first step and start today. And please share below any tips you may have that aren’t included in this list 🙂
