I am one of those horrible people who have a lot of trouble drinking a healthy amount of water. If left to my own devices, I probably wouldn’t drink any. Like, at all.
I know, I’m awful.
But, I have found ways to trick myself into drinking enough water every day, and to be honest, after seeing the change it’s made in my daily life, I wouldn’t go back. I’ll get to those benefits in just a minute, but for now, here are 5 ways to trick yourself into drinking enough water.
1. Get a cute cup with a straw!
Weird right? This article by Brian Geiger explains why things taste better when you drink them through a straw. If you ask me, if a cup is cute it makes you more likely to use it. So basically, cute cup + straw science = better hydration. Cue applause.
2. Get an app!
A lot of people use WaterLogged, which monitors your water intake based on your body stats. If you are the sort of person who gets a kick out of checking things off of a list, this app is for you, my friend. If you’re like me and the waterlogged app isnt enough to keep your attention, try PlantNanny. Basically it’s a cute little plant that you have to “water” at certain times everyday. It’s FREAKIN’ adorable and I actually look forward to checking in with my little plant friend. Wanna know the best part? Both apps are free.
3. Infuse your water with fruit and herbs.
You could throw some strawberries and mint into your water bottle, or if you want to get REAL fancy, you can make your own flavored ice cubes. It keeps your drink cold and yummy! I like to do a little of both because half way through the day, my flavors change and I don’t get bored.
4. Grab some sparkling water and mix it with juice.
As an avid soda drinker, part of the reason I had so much trouble with my water intake was because of soda cravings. I don’t know if it’s the caffeine or the fizziness that I live for, but mixing sparkling water and juice definitely helped to wean me off and give me a kick when I really want a Coke.
5. Make it a part of your day.
I try to always have a cup of water before my morning coffee, with each meal, and right before bed. Doing this in addition to my cute cup and PlantNanny have upped my water intake considerably. By making it a part of my day, I’ve wired myself to do it without thinking and now drinking my coffee in the am feels weird without water first.
After about two weeks of tricking myself into drinking more water, I really started to see a difference in myself. For starters, my skin looked incredible. If I had known how drinking more water would improve my skin, I would have done it a million years ago. I’m not even talking about blemishes. I’m talking about glowing, healthy skin.
I’m not so exhausted all the time. Because I was tired all the time, I drank a lot of caffeine. Because I was substituting water for soda and coffee, I wasn’t staying hydrated. Because I wasn’t hydrated I was tired. As in All. The. Time. It’s a cruel and vicious cycle. Break out of it! Your body will thank you.
Also, headaches. Same vicious cycle.
Drinking more water has improved my life in the most important of ways. It’s made me a healthier person. If I (a caffeine-addicted water hater) can do it, so can you.
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