We all know that water is good for us. There are lists and lists of reasons why water is so important for our overall health—so why is it so hard to stay motivated to drink it?
There was a study conducted in the U.S. about water drinking and the associated behavioral patterns. Among over 3,200 participants in this study, 43.7% of them drank LESS than four glasses of water a day. That’s insanity!
The people who drank less water throughout the day actually expressed a belief that what they eat “doesn’t really affect their health.” Whereas the people who drank more than four glasses of water a day were making other conscious decisions about their eating and sleeping patterns to take care of themselves.
When I read this, I wondered if the amount of water those people were drinking was really the deciding factor in how they deal with their health, or if it’s a byproduct of an already existing belief that their health and body isn’t important. Further research actually shows that water has a huge effect on us psychologically and that drinking water affects our overall mood and our ability to focus. Dehydration can even make it difficult to remember things in the short term.
So really, if we’re not drinking enough water, we’re not in our right minds. Only people who aren’t thinking straight would think their health isn’t important!
While it can be difficult to stay motivated to drink enough water, the benefits reaped from hydration are bountiful and worth your consideration. Drinking more water helps with fatigue, it gives you clearer skin, boosts your immune system, and helps with digestion.
I’m like a lot of people that have a hard time taking advantage of this vital resource. It was a resolution of mine to begin prioritizing water in my every day life. I still enjoy my coffee in the morning (and afternoon, let’s be honest), but there are plenty of ways you can remind yourself to drink more water. Some people carry a water bottle around with them everywhere, others leave multiple bottles between work and home so they always have one close by. Some will set a timer on their phone to remind them during their busy work days. Personally, I prefer a little app called Plant Nanny. You water your plant every time you give yourself a glass of water and it actually grows as you water it! (Feel free to ask me about it, honestly it’s my favorite thing right now.)
Really, you’ve got so many options, there’s no excuse. And believe me, your body will thank you.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3625443/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/you-illuminated/201010/why-your-brain-needs-water
