* Make it a Morning Ritual. I once read in a magazine article that many of us wake up dehydrated, and the first thing you should do before you do anything else is drink two glasses of water. I've now made it a regular morning habit, and it inspires the momentum to continue drinking more for the rest of the day.
* Add Some Lemon. Back in the early stages when I couldn't stand drinking water, I squeezed lemon juice into my water. At restaurants, I would ask the servers to provide lemon slices with my water--which makes me sound snobby, but most restaurants are willing and expected to provide this service.
* Keep it In the Clear. When your urine is clear, you are properly hydrated. When your urine is a dark yellow, you are definitely dehydrated.
* Think of How Pretty You'll Look. I don't know how direct the correlation is between having healthy, glowing skin and drinking a lot of water, but I'm not taking any chances. Whatever psychological trick keeps me hydrated!
* Do It Like It's Hot. If you're in the mood for a hot drink, drink heated water. Sometimes we just want the psychological pleasure that comes with having a hot mug cupped in our hands than the actual drink itself. Plus, coffee and tea contain caffeine, which is a diuretic and elevates the rate of water being expelled from your body via urination.
* Drink When You Have a Munchie Attack. Sometimes our hunger is thirst masquerading as fake hunger. Drinking a cup or two of water will make you feel "full."
*Take Baby Steps. Don't expect to go from zero glasses of water to the full 8 glasses overnight. Start with one glass of water in the morning and one glass of water at night, and build your way up from there.
* Cheap cheap. Water at restaurants are FREE!
* Always have a full glass of water near you when you are working. It will give you something to mindlessly sip on when you are brainstorming or need something to do with your hands.
By Yumi Sakugawa for Intent.com
