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I am quite good at staying hydrated when I’m at home. Rarely does an hour go by without me feeling the need to go and get a glass of water – not necessarily because I feel thirsty but because I have built the habit of drinking regularly throughout the day.
The problem is, I’m not as good at staying hydrated when I’m out and about, whether it’s for work or socialising. I just don’t think about drinking or I forget to drink. Unless I get seriously thirsty, I don’t notice my thirst because I’m distracted by other things.
This is something I am trying to work on at the moment, because I know how important it is to stay hydrated. In this post I’m going to share some of the strategies I am using to help me drink more water and stay hydrated even when I’m on the go.
How To Stay Hydrated When You’re On The Go
Take water with you
We’ll start with the most obvious way to stay hydrated when you’re out and about. Take a bottle of water with you! Or if you’re not keen on plain water, take a flavoured bottled drink, or a flask of tea or coffee. The first step to drinking more is to have a drink accessible to you.
It’s also a good idea to get into the habit of topping up your water bottle whenever you get an opportunity. See a water fountain or dispenser? Fill up your bottle. Try to learn where the refill points are that you pass on a regular basis, and build this habit so it becomes natural.
When someone offers you a drink, accept it
Do you habitually accept offers of a drink? Personally, when people offer me a cup of tea or any other beverage, my habit is to say, ‘No thank you, I’m okay’. Often, my reasoning is that I have a bottle of water in my bag anyway so I don’t need one. However, when I’m busy, I rarely remember to drink from my water bottle unless I have a specific need, for example, if I get a cough or a tickly throat.
By habitually accepting a drink, you are more likely to actually drink it because the person has gone to the effort to get it for you. It’s also more visible than a water bottle tucked away in your bag. This way, you’ll stay hydrated and also save your bottled water for later.
Get comfortable with asking to use the toilet
One reason I don’t drink as much when I’m out and about, especially if I’m going to acquaintances’ houses, is that I feel awkward to ask people if I can use their toilet. I prefer to wait until I get home or to a public toilet. But this isn’t doing me any good in terms of hydration. No-one actually minds or cares when you ask if you can use their toilet – would you? So go for it and try to get comfortable with it.
Use an app to remind you to drink
There are many apps available where you can track your drinking. This can provide motivation and a reminder to drink more water or other beverages throughout the day. If you still forget to drink, some apps will also enable you to set alarms to remind you it’s time to take a sip. Even if your app doesn’t do this, you can use the normal alarm feature on your phone to set regular reminders throughout the day (just remember to turn your phone on silent if you are going into a meeting or similar).
How do you stay hydrated when you’re on the go?
Are you like me, in that you forget to drink when you’re out and about, distracted by what’s going on? If so, I hope this post has inspired you to make a few changes and build new habits that will help you stay hydrated even on the busiest days.
If you are already an ace at staying hydrated on the go, I’d love to hear your tips – please share them in the comments!
