Daily Habits That Help Me Drink More Water

Drink your water and mind your business, Sis. That is a statement that I say to myself every time I realize I am not where I am supposed to be with my daily water intake. Lately, that is often. During COVID I have been flourishing in all ways except when it comes to drinking more water. When I was free to live life outside of four walls, I practiced several habits that helped me stick to my goal of drinking half a gallon (64 ounces) of water each day. Even if I was not 100% successful, I made an attempt.

I know all of the facts about the benefits of drinking water: (1) It is important. As a matter of fact, it is crucial; (2) Water benefits not only my internal body but my skin, hair, nails, you name it; and (3) Drinking enough water can help with maintaining a healthy weight as well as energy levels. Knowing all of these things why do I fall short daily?

I Don’t Necessarily Like Water

I don’t have an issue with water as an element, I’m just not impressed by the taste of it. If I am honest, I think water is bland. My taste buds have been conditioned to love soda, coffee, Kool-aid and Prosseco. You know, everything that is not water. Yes, I know I can add fruit, lemon, or lime for flavor; it still bores my taste buds. As a child, I remember saying, “If I could brush my teeth with chocolate milk instead of water, I would!”. I know that is disgusting but it is how I felt and how much I loved chocolate milk at the time.

I love things made of mostly water. When it comes to plain water; blah. I know I need to get over myself and do what is right for my body. I can tell by the color of my urine that my kidneys are not impressed with beverages made “of mostly water”.

As a runner, you would think that I was hydrated all of the time, right? Wrong! I can literally be on a run thinking about how thirsty I am and how I would love a tall glass of ice-cold water, only to walk through the door and fail to execute. You can’t see me, but I just facepalmed myself. Why is something as simple as drinking more water so difficult for me?!

COVID Changed My Daily Routine and Habits

Working from home has allowed me to relax all of my routines. It has been a silver lining in a lot of ways, but not all ways. I have become a little too relaxed in a few areas that I truly need to refocus on. Not just drinking more water, but the time that my alarm clock goes off, how often I comb my hair, what time I take a shower; I could go on and on.

Prior to COVID I traveled a lot, for both work and pleasure. It was easy for me to grab a bottle of water while zipping through the airport or to make sure that I had water bottles in my hotel room. Oddly, while I am working from home I can go hours without drinking anything, yet alone water!

Here are the facts: (1) I know I can’t continue to not drink water; (2) I am an adult so no one is going to make me drink water, or do anything for that matter; and (3) the decision and the consequences rest on my shoulders. *Ques Beyonce’s Formation* It is time to invest in me, drink more water and continue minding my business.

3 Habits That Help Me Drink More Water:

I Made A Promise To Myself

I truly believe that setting intentions at the beginning of my day sets the tone for the entire day. Not drinking enough water is literally toxic. The first beverage that I drink in the morning is usually coffee. I usually say a quick prayer, hop out of the bed, and start working from home with a cup of coffee in my hand. Because I don’t start my day with intention or set a goal to drink more water, I am setting myself up.

To change the tone of my days, I made a promise to myself to drink a glass of water when I wake up each morning. Doing this also helps me to stay on track with taking my vitamins and supplements each day. Win, Win!

Set A Goal

Saying that I want to drink more water is not enough. I actually have to decide how much water I want to drink. The devil is in the details. My goal is to drink 64 ounces (half a gallon) of water each day. To stay on track, I purchased a QuiFit Half Gallon Water Bottle.

What I love about this particular water bottle is that it has motivational water level lines from 7 am to 9 pm. Not only are the quotes motivating, “Do it for yourself!” and “NO EXCUSES”; I can see how much water I should drink within 2-hour increments. It’s like I am running a marathon, each water level line being a 5K distance. Slow and steady wins the race and I can pace myself.

Side Note: You can snag your own QuiFit Water Bottle at Amazon for under $20! There is even a Gallon option!

Celebrate The Little Victories

I don’t always smash my goal, but drinking 40 ounces or 50 ounces in a day is still a great accomplishment! And it is most definitely better than not drinking any water at all. This applies to all areas of life, not just drinking water. Celebrate the little victories along the way and keep working towards your goals.

Do you drink enough water daily? How many ounces do you try to achieve? Sound off in the comments below and let me know!