8 Tips for Staying Hydrated

It’s easy to remember to drink water when it’s hot outside. All you have to do is step into the sun and you’ll immediately feel thirsty. When the sun is not blazing down on your head in the fall and winter, you may not feel as thirsty — but hydration is still as important as ever.

8 Tips for Staying Hydrated

You only need to implement a few things to make hydration part of your daily routine. Give some of these ideas a try to keep yourself well-watered all year round:

1. Carry a Water Bottle

Carrying a water bottle with you everywhere you go is the best way to ensure you’re always staying hydrated. You won’t always be thinking about drinking water unless you have that container as a reminder. When there’s a bottle sitting at your desk, you’ll feel more inclined to sip from it rather than walking out to the drinking fountain periodically.

You can have a lot of fun with a reusable water bottle as well. You can purchase one with a design from your favorite TV show or video game series. There are also blank water bottle options that can be covered with a host of stickers, from funny quotes to adorable cartoon characters. Personalizing your water bottle will get you attached to it and help you remember to drink more often.

2. Make Use of Reminders

Recurring reminders will be your body’s best friend. Just a few simple reminders can make all the difference for hydration. They’ll even snap you out of an intense focus with just enough time to take a drink of water before getting back to work.

Take a look at your daily schedule and how it’s built. You should be able to find some times in your Calendar where a hydration alarm will fit perfectly. Until you have your hydration down to a habit, these reminders can be placed during your work breaks, first thing in the morning, or even during a car-free commute.

Reminders will work best if you have a smartwatch. A notification right on your wrist is easier to spot than your phone in your pocket or left in another room.

3. Use the Power of Association

Association is an incredible power. You can train your mind to associate two things together even if they have nothing in common. For example, by using this power, you can associate drinking water with a number of your daily activities, which will subconsciously cause you to drink.

Most people associate hydration with exercise. If this is how you think about hydrating, maybe try incorporating some little exercises throughout the day. 10 jumping jacks and a big drink of water at the start of your break is better than nothing in both fields.

4. Get a Hydration Buddy

Challenges are much easier to complete with the help of others. If you have a family member or coworker that wants to improve their hydration, get their support. You’ll be able to lean on each other while developing long-lasting habits. Having someone else hold you accountable to your goals will push you further.

A hydration buddy can send you the occasional text as a reminder to hydrate. They’ll act as a fail-safe when your other methods fall short. You can also hold friendly competitions to see who can drink the most water by the end of their shift, without going overboard of course.

5. Play a Drinking Game

Sure, a drinking game with water might not sound as fun as with margaritas, but it’s a fun way to try and get into a better habit with hydration. The rules of the game are simple. When a certain action occurs, you take a drink of water. At parties, the end goal is to get a little tipsy, while your goal here is to stay hydrated and have fun doing so.

Let’s use another example from work. Perhaps you have a coworker with a catchphrase they use a little too often. Make it a point to take a swig of water every time you hear that catchphrase. Other objectives could be a sip of water when the phone rings, an email is delivered, or when a sale is closed. All of these little events will lead to great hydration throughout the day.

7. Add a Little Flavor

While there are some water enthusiasts out there, most people will agree that water is tasteless and bland. Although it can be very refreshing, the lack of flavor can make it hard to drink enough throughout the day sometimes. In this case, a little flavor can go a long way.

There are tons of options for flavoring that can make hydrating so much more delicious. Look for healthy additives that don’t turn your water into anything but a sugar drink. The occasional sports drink can also make hydrating tasty as long as it isn’t pumping your body with caffeine, sugar, or extra calories.

8. Hydrate With a Snack

Many fruits and vegetables are full of water and can hydrate you to a degree when consumed. While they shouldn’t replace water entirely, they can certainly help make hydrating more enjoyable. A snack of fruit is also better than something salty that will effectively dehydrate you as you eat.

Some water-rich fruits and veggies include:

• Watermelon (there’s a reason it has the name)
• Cucumbers
• Cantaloupe
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Tomatoes
• Lettuce
• Oranges

There are many more items that can be added to the list, but you get the idea. A healthy snack is better for more than just cutting back on carbs and calories. It can help you stay hydrated too!

Being hydrated gives you more energy, helps you recover faster, and can even improve your daily focus. By making hydration intentional, you’ll be on the way to unlocking your full potential both physically and mentally.

Image Credit: cats coming; pexels; thank you!

8 Tips for Staying Hydrated was originally published on Calendar on September 29, 2021 by Hunter Meine.