Tips to Improve your Water Intake

I'm not gonna lie, this is a STRUGGLE for me. I am the worst at drinking water. I'm pretty sure my dog drinks more water on a daily basis than I do - it's that bad! I've heard some people say, "I don't like how water tastes." That's totally not even my issue, I like water (some brands more than others; Crystal Gyser - I'm talking to you, ew!). I would come home from work and realize I didn't drink anything my whole working day! Other times I'd only remember to drink water at work when I saw a coworker getting water from our water dispenser. I literally just forget to drink water because I just don't feel thirsty often. But, apparently, when you're feeling thirsty you may already be dehydrated.

You've probably heard the drink 8 glasses rule, but the Mayo Clinic recommends about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women. Lord knows I've never drank the recommended amount in my 29 years! But there are various factors that influence your water needs.

Here are some helpful tips that are fairly simple to implement to get yourself to drink more water:

+ Make sure the water bottle is visible throughout your day. If I see it, I'm more likely to drink it.

+ Add drinking a glass of water to your skincare routine

+ Set up Alexa to remind you to drink water. I know this is sad, but Alexa has a Water Reminder feature and every hour she'll tell me to drink water.

+ If you don't have Alexa or if she's starting to freak you out and you unplug her, set an alarm on your phone to go off every hour as a reminder.

+ Eat foods with a high water content. I love fruit (and eating) so this is actually easier for me than drinking water.

+ Drink from smaller bottles and continually refill. Larger bottles can be so daunting!

+ If you prefer a larger water bottle, add exact time deadlines to your bottle using a marker. Aim to drink a certain amount every few hours.

+ Keep a water bottle next to your bed. I often wake up thirsty in the middle of the night (gee, I wonder why) and if I have water nearby, I'll take a drink instead of just going back to sleep. + Drink using a straw. I have no idea what this does, but I personally seem to enjoy drinking water more when through a straw.

+ Give it some flavaaaa and infuse your water with fruits and herbs

+ Test out different temperatures - I love ice cold water it may not be a good idea for someone with sensitive teeth

Hopefully this small list helps us both - it's me, I'm the problem, I'm dehydrated.