Staying hydrated sounds simple…drink more water, right? Yet for many people, staying hydrated is still hard to achieve. You take a few sips in the morning, and before you know it, you haven't thought about it since.
According to the National Institutes of Health, even mild dehydration, around 1–2% fluid loss, can affect energy levels, focus, and mood, meaning people may feel tired before they ever feel noticeably thirsty.
In this guide, we’ll break hydration into simple lifestyle strategies that will help you stay hydrated more consistently.
Why most people are dehydrated
Common Mistakes
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Relying on thirst alone
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Setting vague goals like “Drink more water.”
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Forgetting to drink during busy parts of the day
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Trying to drink large amounts all at once
Without clear routines, hydration becomes reactive instead of intentional. The key is to anchor water intake to moments that already happen every day. When starting something new, you tend to stumble at first, but this guide will help you stay on track.
What is a Routine
A routine is a set of actions that you follow regularly.
Routines remove friction from the goals you want to reach. We all have routines. It could be checking your phone, brushing your teeth, or eating lunch at a certain time. These are not routines you developed in one day.
Effective routines are built around
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Habit stacking (Taking a few sips of water before you open social media )
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Visual cues (Setting your water bottle on your nightstand before you go to sleep)
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Consistency over perfection
By breaking hydration into predictable parts of your day, you make it easier on yourself to repeat.
Why Routines Work Better Than Goals
A hydration goal looks like “Drink more water”. This is far too vague. Someone can drink more water in the morning, but forget to take another sip until the following day.
Routines are something you don’t even have to think about. Although “Drink more water” is a positive thought, routines solidify and create action towards that goal.
We will now look into how you can incorporate a routine throughout your day.
Morning Hydration Routine: Set the Tone for the Day
Your morning routine is one of the most powerful times to lock in hydration. After 6–8 hours of sleep, your body wakes up dehydrated. Drinking water shortly after waking helps:
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Rehydrate your body
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Support digestion
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Boost alertness and energy
A simple trick is keeping a filled water bottle on your nightstand or kitchen counter so it’s the first thing you see.
Pair Hydration With an Existing Habit
Instead of creating a new habit from scratch, attach hydration to something you already do:
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Drink water after brushing your teeth
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Sip while making coffee or breakfast
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Finish a glass before checking your phone
These small pairings make hydration feel automatic. You can set yourself up for success by starting your mornings with hydration.
Midday Hydration Routine
Midday is the easiest time to forget. It is not uncommon for this time period to be the busiest for most individuals. If you do not have a routine set in place, water is probably not going to be your top priority.
A reusable water bottle is what can make your routine stick and last, and is the easiest way to stay on top of it. You can drink water from water fountains, but they are not available at all times.
This is also the best time to build in routines. Someone can have the visual cue of having a water bottle on a desk, and end up taking more sips in a day. You can also habit stack with a water bottle, such as “ when I am on my lunch break, I refill my waterbottle.” These small habits might seem like they wouldn’t add up, but a few sips here and a few sips there and you are staying hydrated.
Personalization
I believe that personalizing something is what makes you want to stick to things as well. That’s why people have custom phone cases, custom paintings, and all sorts of original items.
You have to make it fun. It is easier than ever to do so with water bottles with companies like CharCharms who make Bottle Accessories.
I believe the action of personalizing your water bottle turns it into an extension of yourself. There are so many variations andmethods of doing so, but you just need to find the one that speaks to you.
Evening Hydration Routine
One mistake we see happen is that most people try “catching up” with hydration in the evening, but as mentioned before. Hydration needs to be an all day habit. It is best to stop drinking water a few hours before bed, which makes it worse if you try to catch up.
Drinking water during meals is a good habit. Keeping a water bottle nearby helps you stay on track without much effort.
Refilling your water bottle before bed is also one way to keep the cycle going.
How long does it take for a hydration routine to stick?
Routines usually start to stick after 2 months of consistent work. Like most good things, it takes time and patience. If you miss a day, it won’t break the cycle, but make sure to pick it up again before not doing it becomes a new habit.
Common Hydration Routine Mistakes
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Waiting until you feel thirsty
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Trying to “catch up” all at once
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Forgetting to drink water early in the day
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Not pairing water with existing habits
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Using a bottle you don’t actually like
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Keeping water out of sight
