We’ve all heard the old saying, “water is life.” But since we all agree that water is life, does this not mean we should constantly stay hydrated?
But why does it seem like a struggle sometimes? Why do we sometimes get so carried away that we simply fail to drink enough water?
Well, we bring you good news! You can stay hydrated if you want to. Once you’re able to incorporate drinking enough water into your routine and realise how good it makes you feel, you’ll wonder why you’ve not prioritised it before now.
But how can you incorporate this very needed habit into your daily routine? That’s where convincing your brain comes in.
You need to intentionally push yourself to develop the habit of always drinking water, even when you’re not thirsty. Here are some tips that will definitely help you drink more water!
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Keep water available and accessible
It’s no secret that our brains often desire what we see. So, as long as we don’t see something, our brain may never think we need it. That’s why it’s always important to have drinking water readily available and nearby.
The concept behind this is that the more we see it, the more likely we are to reach for it. Here are tips that can help:
Carry a filled, fancy reusable water bottle at all times. Studies show that we’re more likely to drink from such bottles because of our attraction to them.
Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge or around where you can see it.
Make water more attractive
Remember what we said about being more attracted to what you drink? Well, let’s get another dimension of it. The truth is that you can easily get tired of maintaining a routine of drinking 9 to 13 glasses of water daily.
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You may even feel the temptation to reach for soda or juice when you get thirsty, but don’t! Instead, practice strategies that can make water more attractive.
Things like adding flavour to your natural water, refrigerating it, or adding sparkles may seem simple, but they trick the brain into needing more water.
Set a hydration reminder
Our mobile phones are often more useful than we know. Beyond making calls and surfing social media, there are many more things we can do with our phones. One of them is helping ourselves to stay hydrated.
Since hydration is not yet a habit for you, it makes sense to remind yourself of it constantly. Fortunately, some apps can help you do this.
Set the app to remind you to drink water at specific times throughout the day. You’ll be surprised by how quickly this can help you build your habit.
Reduce alcohol intake
While alcohol may seem like it can hydrate you, it’s often doing the opposite – reducing the body’s fluid. You may notice that alcohol causes you to urinate more often than you usually would.
Well, this means one thing – you’re dehydrating yourself, and unless you make it a habit to drink water alongside your alcohol, you may soon become dehydrated.
So you see, it’s actually not that hard to develop a water-drinking habit. You just need to know a few tips.
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Don’t forget to contact a doctor if you’re dehydrated or find drinking water too stressful.
