At midnight, I shuffle into the kitchen feeling slightly thirsty, reaching for a cup of water before bed. As the cup fills with water, I stare at its glass perimeter and the rising waterline, which somehow looks … foreign.
That’s when I reflect on my day and realize I haven’t had any water all day — again. Guiltily, I chug the 6-ounce cup in a frantic attempt to make up for a whole day of dehydration.
The next morning, I pull my water bottle out of my backpack and see that it’s gone down maybe an inch since I filled it the morning before.
It’s the same story almost every day: making weak attempts to hydrate at night and lugging around a water bottle only used for emotional support in the day.
There might be something wrong with me — I just don’t get thirsty. I can’t explain it, but I do know this habit is deeply unhealthy as the recommended daily water intake is around 64 fluid ounces. So, recently I tried a few methods to fix it. Here are the results.
Logic and tracking
It started with a water log. With a couple of my similarly cactus-like friends, we created a Google Doc to set our daily water-drinking goals and log how much we drank. It lasted maybe three days before we collectively forgot about it, leaving it to rot at the bottom of our Drive.
Knowing daily micromanaging wouldn’t work, I moved on to forcing hydration through sheer willpower: 10 large gulps of water (or until I felt like throwing up) every time I remembered to.
It kind of worked; at least I was drinking something, but there were also plenty of days where I forgot and resorted to a midnight chug session. Eventually, I realized I needed to make water something I wanted to drink to be able to stay consistent.
Making water taste better.
My water-tasting journey started with temperature — because, yes, water tastes different depending on its temperature. Depending on my mood, I’ve found that the optimal temperature for the most refreshing and drinkable water is three or four ice cubes in my 24-ounce bottle.
Then came tea. Floral teas like chrysanthemum and rose are my favorites — bonus points for being caffeine-free, making them a good choice any time of day.
I buy large packs of dried flowers from China and either steep them in boiling water or cold-soak them overnight. When the rose petals are fully soaked through, they become surprisingly crunchy and really fun to eat while drinking the water. Maybe this just means I’m a big back who needs to be simultaneously eating to drink water, but it’s a win either way!
When bottled water is the only choice, the brand matters a lot. Crystal Geyser and Dasani taste like the earth to me, and they don’t help my issue of not drinking enough water. My favorite is Target’s Good & Gather brand, which has a hint of sweetness.
Bonus discovery: a straw lid.
When the handle of my previous water bottle lid broke, I replaced it with one that had a straw mouthpiece.
This changed everything. I can’t explain why, but the straw completely elevated my drinking experience. Maybe it’s the convenience of not having to control the tilt of the bottle while driving, walking or laying in bed, but it genuinely makes drinking water so much more satisfying.
So while I wouldn’t call myself perfectly hydrated, I think I’ve officially graduated from cactus status.
Weirdly enough, my body seems to have recalibrated recently — I actually do feel thirst now. So, although those strategies aren’t essential to my survival anymore, I still use them to make drinking water the best experience it can be.
