The Time Suck is Real: 4 Tricks to Win the Water War
Drinking water, as noted in my last post, is for the birds. All these good effects like fewer cramps, fewer headaches, fewer wrinkles come with the constant need to go pee. Granted, I’m much more able to do this particular activity now that I’m no longer in the classroom, but still. It’s a time suck. There’s so much else I could be doing! (Or, more realistically, my phone has come with me and I’ve started doomscrolling and… whoops… where did the time go?! Extra tip: leave the phone outside the bathroom for more efficiency inside the bathroom)
Here are the four tricks that I use to get my water in. Because, let’s be real, I’m still working on upping that water content after so many years in the classroom and timing it based on when I could actually leave the room to hit the staff lounge.
The Pre-Load: Hit it hard and fast in the morning
The easiest time to get a massive chunk of water in is before you’ve even had a chance to let your brain fully wake-up. Do me a favor - wake up enough to not choke on the water. I’m not into that kind of thing when it comes to drinking water.
The Hack: Place a full glass or bottle of water right on your nightstand.
The Rule: Drink the entire thing before your feet hit the floor (or AT LEAST before you check your phone/email).
The Benefit: You'll wake up your body and brain (combating that dehydration-induced brain fog) and get ≈16 to 24 ounces in before breakfast. This simple habit makes the rest of the day feel manageable.
The Habit Stack: Check & Sip rule
Think about something you do many times a day. It could be checking email, talking on the phone, sitting and staring at the ceiling while contemplating your life choices, whatever! Got something in mind? Good. Off we pop to the rule.
The Hack: Pair drinking water with a deeply ingrained, non-negotiable habit.
The Rules:
"The Business Rule": Every time you sit down to check your email or open your first and next work file, take 5 big sips.
"The Family Rule": Drink a glass while you're standing and waiting for your coffee to brew, or while you're microwaving your daughter's lunch, or every time you switch to a new chore, activity, or thought process. I realize I have ADHD and so switching thought processes is a never ending thing, but you get me. I hope.
The Benefit: By linking water to an existing behavior, you eliminate the need for willpower.
The 5 Senses Motivation: Pick a sense and use it
Are you a visual learner? Do you need a visual to lean on? But, on the flip side, maybe you’re not. Maybe you use alarms to your best benefit - either the auditory kind or the feeling kind of a buzz on your wrist. Not going to lie, I don’t have a sound or smell version yet, so it’s really three senses, but that didn’t make sense. So, here we are.
The Hack: Get a water bottle that is marked with time-stamped goals (e.g., "Drink to here by 10 AM," "Refill and drink to here by 2 PM"). Or set those alarms!
The Funniest Tip: Call this bottle your "High-Maintenance Container." (It’s ridiculous, but it works, and you can point out the irony of needing a fancy piece of gear for the simplest drink.)
The Benefit: It visualizes your goal and breaks a large target (like 80 oz) into small, easy-to-hit milestones.
The Flavor Trick: Here’s the taste!
I knew it would come to me eventually! And noses help taste, so there we go! All five senses are REPPING in our water deluge into the body.
The Hack: Add natural flavor or use low-sugar electrolyte boosters.
The Tip: Get bougie and slice up cucumber, lemon, mint, or berries. I have also started jamming on a company called, “Craftmix”. This is NOT an ad - they do not know I exist (so, feel free to tell them about me if you do actually order from them, maybe… side eye… they’d want me on board… side eye). But, seriously, I add a packet to a sparkling water and it’s just yum. (Side note: this can also become an alcoholic beverage, not that I’m going to encourage or detract from such a habit, but it’s a side note)
The Expert Tip: Electrolytes (like a pinch of sea salt, or a low-sugar electrolyte powder) can actually help your body absorb and retain the water better, especially after a workout.
Still thinking you could use a little help on figuring this all out??? Guess what? That’s literally my job! Hint hint: If you sign a 3-month commitment with me in the month of November (2025), you’ll get a code for 15% off! Just reference this post when chatting with me!