How to Trick Yourself Into Drinking More Water Every Day

Water is the best thing you can put in your body, yet so many of us ignore it throughout the day. Here are some great ways to trick yourself into developing a healthy habit of drinking lots of water every day.

We need water to survive, but drinking enough to get by isn't ideal for your body. Water is required to cushion and lubricate your joints, protect your brain and other internal tissues, regulate your body temperature, and remove waste from your body through urination, bowel movements, and perspiration. You've probably heard that our bodies are made mostly of water, and it's true. We need it.

When you don't have enough water, dehydration comes out to play. When you're dehydrated you'll experience dry mouth, low blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, dry skin, and worst of all, fatigue. In fact, there's a good chance that whatever is ailing you right now can be helped—at least a little—by drinking more water. You might be dehydrated and you don't even realize it. A simple way to tell is by taking a look at the color of your urine. A light, transparent yellow (or clear) is what you want to aim for. Anything darker usually means you're not getting enough.

So how much do you need? While it's hard to determine an ideal amount exactly, we previously consulted with Dr. Pamila Brar and there are some guidelines you can follow:

• Men should drink about 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total fluids a day.

• Women should drink about 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total fluids a day.

Men need a little more because they tend to be larger on average and naturally have a little more muscle mass—which holds water better than fatty tissues. Of course, pregnant women and nursing mothers need more water as well. If that seems like a ton of water to you, that's a bad sign. It actually breaks down to just four to eight sips of water per hour, but remembering to drink it is the hard part.

Not only do you have to remember to drink it, but you also have a lot of other tasty beverages out there competing to make their way inside of you. While a soda or sports drink may sound thirst-quenching, the sugar and other extras aren't going to do you any favors—and they might even make you more thirsty. If you can help it, stick to water. But if you really want a different beverage, at least drink water in addition to it. Remember, water is the cheapest drink out there! According to Trent Hamm at The Simple Dollar, choosing to drink water instead of soda could save you about $312 every year.

Keep your daily activities in mind, too. If you're exercising or doing any strenuous work, that can change how much water you need dramatically. The same goes if you've been drinking a lot of coffee, caffeinated tea, or alcohol. They act as diuretics, causing you to urinate more and lose some water. Also, if you're in a warmer climate, you perspire more and need more water than you would in a temperate zone. It is possible to drink too much water—don't overdo it—but your body can process 15 liters of it every day, so don't stress about it too much.

If you already have a good morning and bedtime routine, make drinking water a part of it. You can still have your morning coffee, but add a glass of water in beforehand. The Natural Choice blog recommends having a glass at the same time and in the same place during your routine every day:

...get in the habit of drinking a glass of water right after you get out of the shower, or right before you wash your face at night. This is an easy way to add at least two glasses of water a day to your routine.

Wake up, have a glass of water. Get ready for bed, have a glass of water. Just by doing that you get a head start on the rest of the day. If you're having a hard time remembering to incorporate it in your routine, find ways to make your water more visible. Put a glass of water on your nightstand so you see it before you go to bed or have a glass waiting by the coffee maker so you remember to have a glass while your joe brews.