HOW TO DRINK MORE WATER HACKS

Like everyone else, I wanted to drink more water. I too was sucked into all the articles about the benefits of drinking more water.  And I wanted that for myself.  But every time I tried to drink more water, I spent the whole day running to the bathroom.  My tummy was so bloated, it looked like I was nine months pregnant.  And by the end of the day, all I was doing was peeing out water. Which after some research found out was a sign of overhydration. 

I knew something had to change to make this work.

First,  I stopped listening to random people on the internet telling me I need to drink X number of ounces of water.  While all these charts and recommendations on how much water I needed to drink are great general guidelines.  I knew I couldn’t go from hardly drinking a glass of water to drinking 8 glasses in a day.  Remember, I tried that and almost peed my pants. 

I knew I needed to build up to the recommended water intake numbers.  And I knew I needed to listen to my body.

So the following are some how to drink more water hacks I found that worked for me. *Remember to check with your doctor before you try something you read on the internet. I am NOT a health professional.  

Hacks For How To Drink More Water

Keep a glass or two of water on your nightstand.

I keep a glass of water on my nightstand for two reasons.  If I get thirsty at night I don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to get a drink.  And as soon as I wake up I drink one glass without even thinking about it. I don’t have to get out of bed. Its there waiting for me.

Match drinking a glass of water with an activity. 

If a friend calls me to chat, I instantly go and make a cup of tea.  By the end of the conversation, I have finished a cup or two without realizing it.  Also, every time I pick up the kids from school I make myself a tea in a to-go mug.  Not only does the tea keep me toasty on cold winter afternoons, but I effortlessly add to my water intake. 

Drink your Vitamins

This might not be for everyone, but I buy vitamin C tablets.  In an extra water bottle, I pop in a tablet and sip it during the day.  Your body can only absorb so much vitamin C at one time, so I like to space out the doses out to increase the overall absorption. (*I don’t do this every day, maybe 2-3 times a week).

I also buy electrolyte tablets for when I work out.  They add some flavour to the water and I find my muscle recovery is better. ( Not science-based, just something I feel). I really like the flavour of these ones.

Drink a glass of water before you snack

I am a stay at home/work from home mommy.  And I snack a lot.  A little habit I would like to break.  So before I grab a snack, I drink a glass of water or make myself a tea.  Funny thing, often I don’t feel snacky after finishing or forgot all about wanted to have a snack.  Also, try drinking a glass before meals, I find I don’t end up eating as much as I would before. 

Try sparkling water

If you haven’t tried sparkling water, you need to.  I call it crack water.  I don’t why but I am addicted. Switching to drinking sparkling water is really helpful if you are a pop fan because sparking water has the same fizz but without all the sugar. San Pellegrino is my favourite brand, but there are many different brands to choose from. See below on how to add some flavour to your water.

If you are a fan of fizz, you can also try kombucha. Kombucha is fermented tea and has a bunch of health benefits. I try to have a half a glass to a glass a day. But build yourself up to a full glass or you might get some digestive issues.

Find a water bottle you love and carry it everywhere

Not all water bottles are the same.  I have a yeti one but the lid didn’t work for me.  I ended up buying two different extra accessories lids for different activities.  I have the flip-top straw lid for the stroller.  And I have the sip top for my boxing class.  

Buy a purse or work tote that will fit your water bottle. Make it a habit to grab you water bottle before you leave the house. 

Every time you leave the house: Keys check, wallet check, water check. 

Try out different temperatures 

Figure out what temperature you like your water and at what time. This will help you enjoy drinking water more.  For me, first thing in the morning I like room temperature water.  I guess I like to ease into my morning.  But you might like ice-cold water in the morning to help you wake up. I like ice-cold water later in the day.  When working out, I like room temperature water. Too cold of water when I work out makes my tummy upset. I have not idea why. And finally, I like my tea piping hot.  Try out different temperatures of water to see what you like.

Make drinking more water a habit

At first, I found making drinking more water a habit hard.  I downloaded all the water tracking apps but dreaded it.  I set alarms on my Fitbit to go off every hour but just got frustrated.  

The only thing that works for me was to be extremely mindful of drinking more water.  I made the conscious choice to drink more water.  Every morning, every afternoon or ever free moment  I consciously trained myself to go get a tea or glass of water.  No tracking, no alarms, no daily goals.

Eventually, my conscious actions turning into unconscious actions.  I naturally just drank more water.  Without thinking about it, without being bloated and no more peeing out water.  

And a weird thing happened.  Now I am actually more thirsty than I was before.  (I am sure there is some science behind this). But I am also not as snacky as I was before, my skin is softer, I sleep better.

If you need to use alarms and water tracking apps to get started, then do so. Just don’t focus too much on the amount of water you are drinking. Focus on creating a habit of drinking water.

Make drinking more water part of your self care routine. Want to learn more about self care? Check out this post: Everyday Self Care – Beyond Manicures and Affirmations