Hey hey!
I know you have bigger goals in mind and water might seem a trivial thing. But what I’ve realised is there are a lot of people who are not drinking enough water. And when that happens, bigger things will not take place.
It seems obvious but if it is, why are so many of us not figuring it out? Because it is not about knowing something obvious as “drink more water”. It is about how do you make it an invisible habit. The same principle applies to eating more vegetables, incorporating a fitness habit and well, almost anything.
Let’s start with water.
Not drinking enough water
You know you need to drink water. But you somehow end up not getting enough of it. It seems so simple and yet, why do you find yourself not hitting your water goal?
If you find yourself thirsty, it is an indicator that you are dehydrated. And based on my journals, this is true for me. And I thought it was only me - until I realised a lot of my students are facing the same issue.
Do you find yourselves thirsty?
Do you get headaches randomly?
Are you feeling tight and stiff?
Do you get random hunger pangs?
It could all be because you are dehydrated. Let's find out!
It seems trivial to say "drink X litres of water" and be done with it. But as with everything, the what is one tiny part of it. Integrating it as part of your daily routine is the real challenge.
How much to drink?
Let's start with the basics. You need anywhere from 2.5 to 4 litres of water. These are based on average adult sizes and depending on where you fall, be on that side of the spectrum.
I realise I am not getting enough water, even though I start my morning off with 500ml and then post my training session, another 500ml. By 9 am, I am done with 1/3rd of my goal. But I am not getting 2 litres in the next 12 hours. Simple and important to solve this.
Why is it complicated?
You end up not drinking adequate water because of how the workplace is.
You are sitting in an air-conditioned environment for 90% of your day.
You are not sweating much.
You are not getting enough activity. Even if you are the type of person who exercises. How - because outside of your workout window, are you moving about?
You are occupied with work and forget to drink water.
How do you go about fixing this?
First up, start the day with water. As soon as you wake up, drink a tall glass of water. You have not had water for the previous 6-8 hours, as you were sleeping. So, top up your water supply. Hot water is a great idea to help you wake up as well.
What used to work for me when I used to work at an office was the following:
I'd fill up a glass of water (and not a water bottle.) A tall glass of water is a size that I can finish in 2-3 turns. A water bottle does not give me the signal that "I am done".
As soon as the cup is empty, I would walk over to the water cooler. I'd take a circuitous route to it as well. This gave me a break from sitting - an added bonus.
I'd fill the cup and come back to my desk.
Ever so often, this would mandate a walk to the loo - more walking breaks. And another signal to fill the cup and keep drinking water.
Now, because I work from home, I am not doing this. When I have back-to-back meetings, I realise that I've spent many hours without moving much, and thus not drinking enough water. I've filled up a water bottle but because I don't finish the litre over 2-3 hours of sitting, I end up not knowing if I am getting enough water. And I do not get the gratification of finishing!
What I need to do is get back to my old routine.
Set an alarm and/or have a 5-minute gap between my meetings to drink water and take a bio-break. And get away from the water bottle to a tall cup.
All this fuss about water?!
All this deal with water? Absolutely. Your body is mostly water. Nutrient transportation requires water. Proper body function requires water. Take care of low-hanging, easy stuff like water and walking breaks.
You know you are drinking enough water if your pee is light yellow or clear. The darker it is, the more water you need to be drinking. And remember, if you are thirsty, you forgot this. The less you feel thirsty, the better.
Let's pay attention to these small things. They all add up. And as you stack these up, the harder things get easier.
Jan 15, 2023