For those of you who follow helpyourselfblog.com, you know that we recently completed our first challenge here. The premise was simple: there are seven pillars to effective health, the first of which is water. If you’re struggling to get your water intake everyday, here are five simple ways to do it.
Start Small.
This may seem silly, but the truth is that if we could all just “drink more water,” we would, right? And we’d reap the benefits: better looking skin, better memory, better digestion. The reality is that we’re a nation of self-gratifyers. We want something that tastes good right now. We crave sweet foods and drinks. Instead of setting yourself up for failure by trying to drink 64 oz of water a day, the recommended daily limit, start with something more doable – 6oz or 8oz. After all, some water is better than none at all.
Replace One Drink Per Day with Water
Although most people won’t commit to drinking a glass of water instead of their morning coffee, most can commit to replacing one soda or glass of OJ per day with water. This one change in your day could be the difference in having 8oz of water or none at all.
Make a Trip to the Water Cooler BEFORE Starting Your Day
If you’re like me and work in an office, you’re probably sitting at your desk all day. That’s why I recommend that you make sure to fill your water cup BEFORE sitting down. Once you’re seated (if you’re at all productive), you probably won’t be getting up for a while. Filling your cup before you start in on your email or task list is helpful because you’ll have your water on hand throughout the morning.
Drink Until You Can Drink No More
A good friend of mine taught me this trick once: when you start drinking water, don’t just take a sip–drink until you have to stop. In other words, continue drinking until you physically feel like you don’t want anymore. This will ensure that you’re not a “drive-by” water drinker, just taking small sips throughout the day. Rather, you’re a chugger. Don’t worry – chugging is a good thing. Before you know it, you’ll have downed at least 16 oz of water.
Get a Large Cup
Once you’ve been able to commit to 6 – 8 oz of water per day, go ahead and get a large cup for your water. Now, I’m not talking about those ginormous cups that hold 64oz of water?they’re daunting and will likely make you feel like a failure when there’s still water in the cup at day’s end. Instead, try a water cup that is 16 – 22 oz. This way, you’ll feel good when you get through one cup and even better when you get through two.
