7 Strategies for Staying Hydrated
Need help staying hydrated? Experts suggest that adults drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day, although this number can vary. You might need more fluid intake if you’ve been working out, live in a hot, dry climate, or if you’ve lost a lot of water through sweating.
You can support hydrating with these strategies:
Add fresh fruit slices to the water for a fun treat! Lemon, strawberries, oranges, pineapple, and limes are particularly refreshing.
Tip: slice each fruit very thin. The thinner the fruit, the more infused the water becomes.
Add fresh herbs such as mint. (You can also combine fresh herbs with fresh fruit.)
Keep a bottle with you at all times. It’s much easier to stay hydrated when your water bottle is already at your desk.
Find a large water bottle. The larger it is, the less likely you’ll have to go refill it, making it more likely that you’ll log those ounces!
Drink one glass of water as soon as you wake up — so you can start the day off right!
If you exercise, be sure to bring water with you to the gym (or just keep it next to you if you work out at home.)
Keep a pitcher of fresh water on your dinner table.
You can also log your glasses in an app or on a note-pad if it helps you keep track. The goal is to stay hydrated and build healthy habits that support your mind and body.
“Water facilitates signaling pathway and nutrients delivery to the brain, removes toxins and inflammatory markers and provides energy sources for brain, and thereby improves brain function.
The World Journal of Psychiatry
Researchers from the same study found that individuals who chronically didn’t drink enough water had higher levels of anxiety.
Other Self-Care Strategies
Self-care isn’t just a mani-pedi or a trip to the spa. Self-care is about taking care of your entire mind and body. Examples of self-care includes:
Eating well-balanced and nutrient-dense meals
Staying hydrated
Sleeping 7-9 hours each night
Exercising daily
Making appointments (healthcare, mental health care, dental, etc.)
Spending time each day doing something you love (reading, crocheting, etc.)
