7 Tips for Drinking More Water
We all know that we should drink more water. As a coffee lover, water isn’t always the first thing that I think of drinking first thing in the morning…until I did. It made all the difference. And then, of course, the coffee!
Last December, I hosted a Drinking Water Challenge for anyone who wanted more support in this health and wellness area, and I did it for myself too. While I love coffee, I know all too well the benefits of drinking more water and how it’s not only vital to life, but it’s essential for our overall wellbeing throughout the day.
Because this challenge was so popular, I’m sharing the main tips and findings in this post as an easy reference for increasing water intake and understanding why. Plus, it’s fun to challenge ourselves to improve little by little for more success.
One thing to keep in mind: the turtle won the race, so gradually increasing your water over time will likely offer you the greatest success in reaching your goals and building a new, lifelong habit that you enjoy maintaining.
There are plenty of excuses for not drinking enough water. I know, because in the past, I’ve used some of these excuses and legitimatized them as if my life depended on it . Any of these sound familiar? I forgot my water bottle. I just forgot. I prefer something with flavor in it. I’m hooked on soda. I would rather have more coffee. I like my beverages to be hot. Insert your own excuse: __________
Fact: Drinking half your weight in oz. is the pathway to strong daily hydration. Break it down like this:
Weight: 150 lbs (divide by 2 to get the # of oz)
Water: 75 oz. (divide by 8 to get the # of 8 oz. glasses during the day)
Glasses: 9-10 8 oz. glasses of water throughout the day. Spacing them out from morning to evening is the secret!
Here are my 7 tips to help you drink more water.
#1. Choose a container you love. Personally, I love a 24 oz. Ball jar and my aluminum water bottle for on the go. If you like the container, you may find you’re more likely to spend time with it. It’s like a good relationship, right?
#2. Drink 8 oz. first thing in the morning. Whether it’s because you need a sip at night or not, keep a glass of fresh water by your bed so that after you wake-up, center yourself to start your day strong, and before you take the first step, drink 8 oz. of water. This will get your day started off right. Then you can have your coffee. If you’re a morning workout enthusiast like I am, you may find you put back 16-24 oz. before your morning routine - that’s okay too!
#3. Add some flavor. Try a slice of citrus, or if you really love spa water, add a slice of cucumber, strawberries and lemon to your water. Try new things. Some clients have mentioned a drop of 100% pure essential oils deemed safe for consumption like lemon, lime, grapefruit, and orange.
#4. Fight the midday slump. It’s 2:00 PM and you’d rather have coffee or tea. Maybe try hot water with lemon or an herbal tea that is caffeine free. Get up and walk around. Fatigue and boredom are common and that’s why humans used to nap in the afternoons (Yes, I’m a big fan of siesta!).
#5. Break up your day. You wouldn’t get from 1 mile to 26.2 miles in a day to complete a marathon. Remember the turtle? Slow and steady. It takes time and small, smart achievable goals. As I mentioned above: Try breaking down day parts and ounces. For example: 8 oz. at wake-up, 8 oz. at breakfast, 8 oz. midday break, 16-32 oz. workout time, midday, 8-16 oz. You get the idea. Make it work for your unique schedule.
#6. Engage social support. Like anything new, it’s fun and sometimes necessary to have a friend doing a challenge with your or having an accountability partner. Find someone you who trust who is positive, encouraging, but will also call you out on your excuses (gently, I hope). This person may be just the support you need to reach your goal.
#7. Know when to celebrate…and when to give yourself grace. Like anything in life, all days can be good days, it’s just that some can be way better than others. That said, be sure to celebrate the strong days and learn from the opportunities created by the more challenging days when you miss your mark. It’s okay. We just have to remember that we’re only as good as our choices.
Being the smart people that we are, let’s commit to sincerely trying, celebrating success and repeating the good choices, and remembering to intentionally learn from the choices we’d rather not repeat!