Am I drinking enough water?

There is a serious drought in California and we are on water rationing in our area. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be drinking an adequate amount of water every day! What I found out when I started looking at how much water I was or wasn’t drinking each day, was that I wasn’t drinking much water, at all. And this was true for almost every day of the week.

I took a serious look at my habits and came to the conclusion that I had forgotten almost all of my basic good habits. Two habits I focused on reintegrating into my daily routine were these:

• I went back to keeping a 32-ounce water bottle next to my computer to remind me to drink water throughout the day. I try to fill up and drink this amount twice a day. I am finding that the first one happens but not the second round!
• I also filled up all of the water bottles in my car so that there would always be some when I was on the road. This one definitely works better.

Although both of these things helped, it just wasn’t enough. I was drinking plenty of Chai tea and Earl Grey tea but it has been too hot out not to be drinking more water than usual.

I looked for other ways to make sure I drank enough water each day and I came up with a few other places to stash a water bottle. I put one on the end table next to the couch – no excuses. I put one next to my bed, and I also make sure to keep the one on my bathroom counter full. These little changes have made a positive difference in my water intake!

I also made two other seemingly small changes: first I made a pitcher of lemonade and keep it on hand in the fridge; second, I have replaced wine with a mixed drink that includes club soda. In the summer heat both of these drinks are a little more refreshing than just plain water.

All these little changes have ensured that I get enough water each day and aren‘t dehydrated (and tired). It’s just a reminder that I need to be extra vigilant with how much water I am drinking throughout the day, every day.