I was actually talking to my friend about this the other day because she commented on how she pretty much never sees me without my water bottle. (Guilty!) I found the ultimate motivation to drink more water about 6 years ago, and once I figured out this trick I’ve literally never gone back. It works soooo well for both my husband and me.
Listen…no one is questioning that drinking water is good for you. We all know the facts about hydration.
Water Gives Our Skin A Beautiful Glow
I mean, it’s just true. When you drink enough water, your skin is soft and hydrated. When you stop drinking water, especially if you don’t hydrate over a long period of time (like months or years of not drinking enough water!) your skin starts to look dry and parched and wrinkly. Dehydration is a huge component in the appearance of aging skin.
Water Makes You Feel Energized
Another big DUH. Water makes up most of our body mass, and when you’re giving your blood and organs and tissues the fluid and water that they need to function, both your physical energy and your emotional mood increase LIKE CRAZY. When you drink that bottle of cold, clean water, your body thanks you by giving you a boost of energy. Your joints feel better, your muscles feel stronger, and you can fight off the fatigue and headaches that often hit when you don’t drink enough water.
Water Helps You Eat The Right Amount Of Food
It’s a pretty well-known fact that, often when you think you’re hungry and need to go eat a snack, your body is actually just dehydrated and wants a big glass of water. Hunger is funny like that! Actually, typically when you start to feel that thirst creep in, you’re already dehydrated. But again, if you’re looking for motivation to drink more water, you’re probably already aware of all of the facts.
You Know All The Hydration Facts
Almost everyone already knows why they want to drink more water! It’s good for your body and makes you feel amazing! So why don’t I have the urge to drink more water?
I know that a lot of health professionals say all sorts of things like “set alarms!” and “use a reminder on your phone” and whatnot. But I know you’re probably working hard, and when you’re in the middle of an email draft and your phone alerts you to stand up and
Ok, here’s what’s worked for me. And I’m not kidding: this has worked for like 6 or 7 years and I’m never going back!
Here's The Ultimate Motivation To Drink More Water
Make it easy. Make it soooo easy and convenient to drink more water that you just do it.
(It’s that simple.)
And here’s literally the only motivation you need to drink water. And it’s so stupid simple, you’ll be like, what? That’s all she has to say about this? That was dumb. But it’s actually so smart:
Always always always keep a well-insulated cup with a LID and a STRAW nearby and full of cold, clean-tasting water.
Yeah. Y’all, I’m not kidding. It’s so simple. I always do this, and I always drink a TON of water without even trying.
Seriously. Don’t do all of those silly little simple tips to drink more water like filling your smart water bottle with zucchini (what??) or adding juice to a pitcher of water…because it will work for like a day and then you’ll fizzle out. Besides…you already know that you’re supposed to be drinking water! And you already know you want to drink water (it’s why you’re reading this right now.) What really, truly works is just making it so stupid easy on yourself, you can’t not drink the water!
It’s kind of like putting out a tray of carrot and celery sticks with a bowl of ranch dressing for a group of kids. They say they don’t like veggies, but if you just leave them on the table while the kids are running around in playing, in about 45 minutes all of the veggies will have disappeared… Magic. 😉
Totally the same thing with drinking more water! I always keep my 30 oz Yeti tumbler (it comes in like 35+ colors! eeeks!) with the lid + straw on my desk (or on the floor next to my desk if I want to de-clutter), and I just find myself reaching for it and taking sips all day. It’s funny, but the act of having to take off a lid keeps me from drinking water! By removing that obstacle (a cup with a lid and a straw is a MUST) I have nothing getting in the way of my body drinking all the water it wants.
Again, I know it sounds overly simple.
But this works so well that Nate and I actually travel with our Yeti tumblers. Like, we wash them and pack them in our suitcases and then use them when we get to our destination. When I don’t do this, I feel dehydrated on the entire vacation and I’m like, THIS is why people have trouble drinking water! They don’t have tumblers with lids and straws! Haha.
^I’ve had my Yeti for years and years. It’s scratched up and well-loved and still works perfectly.
I know that a lot of people love these Stanley tumblers as well (because they have handles!), and I’ve heard that they work just as well as the Yeti cups. I love Yeti because I’m from Austin, where Yeti is based, but I know that there are a ton of tumbler options out there!
And if you want a more budget-friendly insulated tumbler with a lid and straw, there are sooo many options out there.
An (Unpopular) Opinion About Flavored Water
If you start looking for answers to the question “how can I drink water if I don’t like the taste of water?” you’ll get all sorts of cutesy answers. Lots of people recommend putting lemons or limes, some berries, or herbs like mint, basil, or rosemary in your water to add some flavor essence.
Uh, sorry. Adding fruit to your water probably won’t help you increase your daily water intake. I mean, if you don’t love the taste of water, drinking a cup of water with some strawberries floating around in it probably doesn’t sound the the most fun ever.
(Besides…chopping up those watermelon and cantaloupe takes forever. Nope. I mean, if someone wants to show up and hand me a beautiful glass of filtered water with grapefruit or sliced cucumber in it, be my guest. But as a mom of two toddlers, I’m just not going to take the time to chop those extra veggies…sorry)
So if you don’t like the taste of water, I highly (highly!!) recommend making sure get a really good water filter if you’re drinking tap water. I mean, bottled water typically tastes pretty delicious, but relying on that for 100% of your water consumption isn’t too great for the environment.
If you can get a great water filter installed on your fridge or sink and always have access to super crisp, clean-tasting water, and then drink that water out of a cup with a straw, I’m pretty sure your water consumption will go up.
One More Thing: Don't Buy Those Giant Water Bottles
You know the ones I’m talking about? Basically the size of a small child? They’re popular and influencers love to sell them because they’re funny water bottles and take eye-catching photos, and they sell well (aka lots of commissions for the influencer.) But I know exactly zero people who use those bottles on an ongoing, regular basis as a way to create the habit of drinking more water.
They’re cute and fun and you might use it for a couple of weeks. But the truth is, those things are HEAVY when they’re full, and they don’t do a good job of keeping your water cold.
100% get an insulated tumbler with a lid and a straw.
Can I Train Myself To Drink More Water?
I think so! It’s kind of like working out or getting enough sleep. Once you do it for a few weeks and realize how amazing you feel, you’ll start craving that FEELING. And in order to get the feeling of being energized and healthy and hydrated, you have to drink the water.
So you’ll have created the habit of drinking more water by training yourself how great it feels to be hydrated! Make sense?
Ok, I know it’s overly simple. But sometimes the simple things are the smartest and best solutions. I’m not kidding when I say that this is literally the only thing I have to do to stay motivated to drink more water. Hope it helps you, too!
