Trick Yourself to Drink More Water

Brace yourselves- I’m about to tell you some shocking news…water is GOOD for you. In fact, doctors recommend drinking multiple glasses a day! Obviously this is something that is just common knowledge to just about every human on the planet. But the recommended 64 ounces of water per day can be hard to achieve! With so many other, more flavorful options out there like soda, juice, tea, and wine, plain old water often gets left by the wayside. You might have to get creative to reach that 64oz. Here are some easy ways to trick yourself to drink more water.

1. Infuse it

If your main complaint with water is that it’s boring, I have two things to say to you. 1) You only think that because you’re not drinking enough and 2) you should try infusing it! Sticking some fresh fruit and herbs into your water is a really easy (and insta-friendly!) way to pimp your drink. Some of my favorite combos are raspberry mint, lemon cucumber, and strawberry blueberry. I usually slice the strawberries, lemons, and cucumbers, but keep the raspberries and blueberries whole. I just give them a little squish with a spoon inside my bottle before I go to let a little juice out.

2. Make it a game

For those of you who do really well with competition, try making your hydration a challenge. Find a friend in the office and see who can reach their water goals on a daily or weekly basis. Give yourself tangible motivation- like if one of you doesn’t meet your weekly water goal, you have to buy the other a cupcake or coffee or something at the end of the week. Another really easy thing that works for me is using a hydration-tracking water bottle. I love my Bevgo water bottle for lots of reasons, but this was the main reason I bought it. I fill it up in the morning, and then try to hit my hourly goals during the day. I can physically see if I’m on target or not, which is so helpful. By the end of the day, I’ve reached my 64oz goal!

3. Log it

Some people really like checking off boxes, and I feel that. If you’re a classic task-ticker, then try adding a sticker or section to your daily planner.  I really love these stickers from PlannerStickerJubilo. If you’re into bullet journaling, there are a ton of ways to track your water habits. Or if you’re more into digital tracking, I love using MyFitnessPal to track my water along with my daily calories. I haven’t personally used these, but I also know there are a ton of hydration apps out there that remind you to drink up. Let me know if you find those helpful in the comments!

4. Make it a habit

Science says it takes about two months to truly form a habit. That may seem like a long time, but just think- if the average life expectancy is 80 years, then you have 960 months in your life. Two is a drop in the bucket! Try inserting drinking water into your routine, like filling up your bottle or glass every single time you go to the kitchen. After a while, it will just become part of going to the kitchen without you thinking about it. I drink a glass of water right when I get up, even before I get out of bed. When I don’t have my water there, my hand on autopilot rifles through all the stuff on my bedside table until I realize!

There are so many benefits to drinking the recommended amount of water per day. It improves your complexion, keeps you regular, wards off headaches, keeps away bad breath… the list goes on. Hopefully these tips can help you reach your hydration goals.

Let me know any tips you’ve found that work!