Humans have been around for over 200,000 years and we must've learnt to drink enough water to have made it this far. So why are we so bad at it now? Are we all walking around dehydrated?

Our bodies run on water, air and food. They can't function without each and when you're deficient in air and food, you'll know about it. When it comes to drinking water though, many of us chronically forget. If you want to know how to drink more water, you're in the right place.

Dehydration affects every part of your body but it's easy to write off mild dehydration as something else. If you want to finally start drinking enough water and get your energy back, keep reading. We'll show you easy tips to drink more water and kiss goodbye to dehydration.

The Benefits of Staying Hydrated

The human body is made up of 55-60% water and it's essential for life on a cellular level upwards. As water is so necessary, even mild dehydration can stop your body and brain from functioning as they should.

Drinking water has endlessly positive effects on your body including:

  • Lubricating joints
  • Aiding digestion
  • Regulating body temperature
  • Flushing waste through and out of your body
  • Delivering nutrients to the brain

It's impossible to overstate the importance of water in the body. Even being dehydrated by 1% can negatively affect cognition with effects worsening with every percentage point increase in dehydration.

Have you ever felt brain fog? Or a sluggishness in the afternoon? Dehydration could be responsible for this and all you need is a glass of water.

Illness and Stress

When you're monitoring your child's fever, hydration should be the top of your priority list too. The body burns through water when it's fighting something so encouraging them to take lots of little sips is usually a good idea. Hydration is important for immune system strength and the sweating associated with a fever is water loss that needs replacing.

Staying hydrated can also help relieve stress. Being dehydrated negatively affects mood and performance and these leave you irritated and struggling. It's time to put water at the front and centre of your daily habits.

1. Put a Bottle Within Reach

We have a tendency to procrastinate the things that aren't immediately easy. We also tend to mindlessly consume things that are too easy. This is why we won't get up and fetch a glass of water but we will eat the entire bag of chocolates on our desk.

Get yourself a reusable water bottle and place it so it's always within reach. If you work at a desk, having your bottle right next to your keyboard will help remind you to drink it.

2. Drink While You Wait

Whether you're waiting for the kettle to boil or mulling over something in your head, this is the perfect time to take a few sips. It doesn't have to be a full glass of water, just a sip or two is fine.

We habitually check our phones when we wait for something but if we use this time to sip water instead, we'd never suffer dehydration.

3. Flavor Your Water

flavor your water

 

If you struggle with the taste of water or just want something a bit zingier sometimes, why not flavour your water? This is a great option when planning trips to the beach too. Freeze berries or a slice of lemon and add the frozen block to your bottle of water. The water will stay cooler and flavourful as you play in the sun.

Mint, cucumber and orange make for delicious additions to water as well.

4. Drink After Every Bathroom Break

The main reason why many of us experience dehydration is that we simply forget to drink water. By tying your drinking to an activity, it might help you remember to do it more often.

After every bathroom break, why not have a quick swig of water? The secret to staying hydrated is to drink little and often. This helps you get around the 'but I don't feel thirsty' issue.

5. Sip Water Between Wine

In countries like France and Italy, you'll never see an occupied restaurant table without water. The French have water alongside their wine and in Italy, most tables will have natural mineral water as well. This is a great habit to adopt, even if your water isn't quite as fancy.

Natural mineral water contains essential minerals and it's a delicious way of getting extra water in your day. When you drink it with dinner and wine, you'll help avoid the dehydration caused by alcohol. If you're a red wine drinker, having water between sips of wine can help reduce the chance of teeth stains as well.

6. Eat Enough Fruit and Vegetables

Drinking enough water is vital but you don't have to get all your water from the tap or the bottle. A high volume of water is present in many fruits and vegetables as well as the meals you cook.

Fruits like watermelon, strawberries and grapefruit are all over 90% water. Vegetables like zucchini, cucumber, lettuce and celery are also exceptionally high in water. It might not seem as much as a glass of water, but it all adds up.

7. Drink Water First Thing

drink water first thing

Every time you exhale, you're breathing out water. This is especially pronounced in areas with dry air, like at altitude. During the day you're replacing that water through eating and drinking but what about overnight?

It's common to wake up feeling a little thirsty but many of us reach for the coffee before anything else. While coffee is a reasonable source of hydration, try starting your morning with a full glass of water. You can drink it while you wait for the coffee to brew.

8. Use an App

If you're bad at keeping track of your water intake and you feel like you should, there are some apps that can help you out. Many smartwatch apps have a function to log water or you can download an app that just does this one thing.

Set yourself a goal every day and log your drinking as you go. The best way to know how much you're drinking is by using a reusable bottle with millilitre markings down the side. Remember that this isn't all the water you'll be consuming, as food contains water too.

9. Set an Alarm

Sometimes inputting data into an app can be more hassle than it's worth, but you still might need reminding to drink water. A simple way to schedule drinking throughout the day is by setting alarms on your phone.

You can set a vibration alert every half an hour or hour to drink some water and this will help you turn it into a habit. Setting alarms is a great way to organise yourself more than with just drinking. Why not set an evening alarm to do these essential stretches and another to take eye-breaks if you use a screen?

10. Skip the Sugary Drinks

From fatigue to brain fog, mild dehydration has the power to ruin your day. Many people think that these symptoms are normal parts of life but a simple glass of water can often cure them. If you switch to sugary drinks though, you might be doing more harm than good.

While sugary drinks do contain water, the sugar in them will disrupt your day. Spiking blood sugar and leaving you vulnerable to sugar crashes later, consuming free sugar in drinks is a recipe for feeling worse than ever.

People with diabetes can suffer from dehydration worse than usual thanks to high blood glucose contributing to dehydration. If you're diabetic, stay hydrated every day and remember to wear a medical alert bracelet in case you need help.

If you cut sugary drinks out, you could find yourself reaching for the next available thing instead. Water.

11. Be Mindful

mindful

We're so distracted by our emails, phones and everything else that we've become distant from mindful living. It's common to confuse dehydration for hunger and eat when we should be drinking.

Questions to Ask Yourself

  • How are you feeling?
  • Do you have a slight headache?
  • Are your lips dry?
  • Are you struggling to concentrate?

Being mindful can help you reach for the water and drink it with intention more regularly.

12. Transform Your Bottle Into a Smart Bottle

Did you already refill your water bottle today? Or was that yesterday? It can be tricky to remember how much we're drinking and if you don't want to use an app to log your intake, there's an easier way.

Get a permanent marker and draw lines on your water bottle. Draw hour lines from the bottom to the top for the morning then swivel it 180° and do the same on the other side for the afternoon. It's best to use a 500ml bottle as it's easy to carry around.

Draw the hours on and refill at lunchtime when it should be empty. This simple step will keep you hitting your hourly goals with ease.

How to Drink More Water Easily and Stay Hydrated

It sounds simple, just drink more water. Many of us aren't quite getting enough though and need help with adding more into our days. Staying hydrated is key to staying safe in the sun but winter can bring dehydrating conditions too with central heating and dry air.

If you want to know how to drink more water, the solution is to make it as easy as possible. Keep a reusable bottle within reach and track how much you're drinking. Add water-rich foods into your diet and skip the sugary drinks. Natural mineral water is a delicious way to have a fancier drink and adding fruit gives it a zingy flavour.

If you have a medical condition that others might need to know about in an emergency, it's time to get yourself a medical alert bracelet. These simple accessories can save your life and are customisable to your needs so check them out today.