Busting the Hydration Excuses: Easy Ways to Drink More Water

Let's be honest.

We all know we're supposed to drink more water.

But knowing something and actually doing it are two completely different things. 😂

Maybe you've told yourself:

"Water is so boring."

"I can't possibly drink that much water."

"I always forget."

"I start strong and then completely fall off."

"I don't like carrying around a water bottle everywhere."

"I'm already running to the bathroom enough!"

Yep. I've heard them all.

And honestly?

Some of these excuses are pretty reasonable.

Drinking more water isn't always as simple as being told, "Just drink more!"

If you want a habit to actually stick, you need to figure out how to make it work with your life.

So let's bust some of those hydration excuses and find a few simple ways to make drinking water easier.

Excuse #1: "Water Is Boring."

I'm not going to argue with you.

Plain water can be...well...plain. 😂

And if you're someone who loves flavor, drinking glass after glass of plain water probably isn't going to be terribly exciting.

The good news?

Your water doesn't have to be boring.

Try experimenting with:

🍋 Lemon, lime, orange, berries, cucumber, or other fruit

🌿 Fresh herbs like mint or basil

🫧 Sparkling water

🌸 Unsweetened herbal teas, served hot or iced

You can even make a pitcher of infused water and keep it in the refrigerator so you have something flavorful ready to grab.

Just remember that water doesn't have to be fancy to count.

Sometimes plain water is exactly what your body needs.

But if adding a little lemon makes you more likely to drink it?

Go for it.

Excuse #2: "I Can't Drink That Much Water."

Here's where I want you to stop thinking about the finish line.

Instead, think about your starting point.

If you're currently drinking three glasses of water a day, don't suddenly decide you're going to drink a gallon tomorrow.

That's probably going to feel overwhelming.

And when something feels overwhelming, it's much easier to give up.

Instead, try adding a little at a time.

Maybe you start with one extra glass.

Or perhaps you simply add a few more sips throughout your day.

Here's a funny little example:

Take two sips instead of one.

That's it.

If you take a drink every time you pick up your water bottle, taking two sips instead of one will eventually add up to quite a bit more water without requiring you to completely overhaul your day.

You can also break your goal into smaller goals.

Instead of thinking:

"I need to drink X amount by the end of the day."

Try:

💧 Drink some water before breakfast.

💧 Drink some before lunch.

💧 Drink some in the afternoon.

💧 Drink some with dinner.

Small goals can feel much more manageable than one giant goal hanging over your head.

Excuse #3: "I Always Forget."

This one is incredibly common.

You get busy.

You start working.

You get distracted.

Suddenly it's 3:00 p.m. and you realize you've barely had anything to drink all day.

That's where habit stacking can help.

Habit stacking simply means attaching a new habit to something you already do.

For example:

☕ Make coffee → Fill your water bottle

🪥 Brush your teeth → Drink some water

🍽️ Sit down for a meal → Drink some water

🚗 Get in the car → Grab your water bottle

💻 Start work → Take a drink

📱 Check social media → Take a couple sips

You don't have to create an entirely new routine.

Just attach hydration to something that's already happening.

And you can even stack the preparation of your water onto an existing habit.

For example:

While you're making your morning coffee, fill your water bottle for the day.

Or...

Fill your bottles before you go to bed so they're ready to grab in the morning.

Sometimes the easiest way to make a habit happen is to make the next step ridiculously easy.

Excuse #4: "I Can't Stay Consistent."

First, let's rethink what "consistent" actually means.

Does consistency mean you drink exactly the same amount of water every single day without fail?

Absolutely not.

Life happens.

Some days you'll be better hydrated than others.

That's okay.

Instead of aiming for perfection, aim for awareness and progress.

And this is where tracking can be incredibly helpful.

You could use:

📱 A hydration app

📝 A simple checklist

🪢 The rubber band trick (move a rubber band from one wrist to the other each time you finish a bottle)

🍼 A water bottle with time markers

📅 A calendar where you check off your goal

You don't need a fancy system.

You just need something that helps you see what you're actually doing.

Because if you want to change a habit, it helps to know where you're starting and how you are doing.

But Don't Just Track Your Water...

Track how you feel, too.

This is one of my favorite parts.

You might notice that after consistently drinking more water:

💧 Your afternoon energy feels better.

💧 You are not having the food cravings.

💧 Your aches and pains are decreasing.

💧 Your workouts feel a little easier.

💧 Your digestion seems happier.

💧 Your headaches happen less often.

💧 You're moods are a little more stable.

Now, I'm not saying hydration is going to magically make every symptom disappear.

But paying attention to how your body responds can give you useful information.

And honestly?

Noticing a positive difference can be incredibly motivating.

Instead of drinking water because someone on the internet told you that you should, you're beginning to connect the dots between your habits and how you actually feel.

That's powerful.

Excuse #5: "I've Tried Everything!"

Okay.

Then maybe it's time to experiment with the little details.

Sometimes the problem isn't the habit itself.

It's the way we're trying to do it.

Try changing your:

Water bottle

Maybe you love a huge bottle.

Maybe you hate it.

Try a smaller one that you can refill more frequently.

Or maybe you need a giant bottle so you don't have to constantly refill it.

Cup

Glass?

Insulated tumbler?

Water bottle?

Whatever makes you happy.

Straw

Some people swear they'll drink twice as much if they have a straw.

Are you one of them?

There's only one way to find out.

Temperature

Ice cold?

Room temperature?

Somewhere in between?

Experiment.

Water

Filtered?

Tap?

Sparkling?

Again, experiment.

Personality

Yes, even your water bottle can have personality.

Add stickers.

Pick a color you love.

Get one that makes you smile.

Because sometimes the little things matter.

There is no award for drinking your water in the least enjoyable way possible.

Excuse #6: "I Need Someone to Keep Me Accountable."

Then get yourself some accountability!

Tell a friend that you're working on your hydration.

Ask your spouse to remind you.

Start a hydration challenge with a coworker.

Share your goal in the Stronger in the Change community.

Or find a friend who will text you:

"Have you had any water today?"

And you can lovingly text back:

"Mind your business." 😂

Accountability doesn't have to be serious.

Sometimes having someone else doing it alongside you makes the habit a whole lot easier.

Make Water Easy to See

One of the simplest things you can do?

Keep your water where you can see it.

If your water bottle is sitting on the kitchen counter while you're working in another room, you're probably going to forget about it.

Instead:

💧 Keep it next to your computer.

💧 Put it in the cup holder in your car.

💧 Take it with you when you move from room to room.

💧 Keep one beside your bed.

💧 Put it somewhere you'll naturally see it.

And if you still forget?

Set an alarm.

There is absolutely no shame in letting your phone remind you to do something your brain is busy forgetting.

And Here's the Biggest Tip of All...

Experiment.

You don't have to find the perfect hydration routine immediately.

Try something.

See how it feels.

Adjust.

Try something else.

Maybe you discover that you drink more when you use a straw.

Maybe you realize you love ice-cold water.

Maybe you need a reminder on your phone.

Maybe you need to fill your bottle the night before.

Maybe you don't need a fancy hydration powder at all.

Maybe you need to drink a little more in the morning because you tend to get behind later in the day.

Maybe your biggest win is simply noticing that you aren't drinking as much as you thought you were.

That's information.

And information gives you something to work with.

Remember: All or Something

I think this is one of the most important ideas when it comes to building healthy habits.

You don't have to do everything.

Do something.

If your goal is to drink more water, maybe today you:

💧 Take two extra sips every time you drink.

💧 Fill your water bottle before you leave the house.

💧 Add some lemon.

💧 Set an afternoon reminder.

💧 Track your water for one week.

💧 Drink a glass before lunch.

💧 Keep your bottle beside you while you work.

You don't need to completely transform your hydration habits overnight.

Small shifts count.

And those small shifts can add up.

So don't worry about getting it perfect.

Experiment. Pay attention. Find what works for you.

And remember...

All or something. 💛

Your body will thank you.

💧 A Final Hydration Challenge

Since we've spent this entire month talking about hydration, here's my challenge:

Don't try to completely overhaul your water intake this week.

Instead, choose ONE strategy from this list that feels realistic for you.

Try it for a week.

Track what you do.

And pay attention to what you notice.

Because the goal isn't to become the woman carrying a gallon jug everywhere she goes.

The goal is to learn how to support your body in a way that actually works for your life.

And that's a habit worth keeping. 🌿

Come join us in my free FB group Stronger in the Change and Share your hydration goal so we can help support you. Stronger In The Change

You can also join us in The Pause Party as we we work towards goals, hold each other accountable, and celebrate all the steps along the way. The Pause Party