Week 2: Hydration
About flexible plans, and drinking too much water
Another week, another self-help attempt.
Last week, I told you about my adventures with daily cold showers. This week, I’m trying on another new good habit: properly hydrating. Technically, this was supposed to be week 5 of my 7 Weeks to a Slightly Better Life, but life got in the way. Flu season has started around here, and since I have a lot of human interaction in my day job, it didn’t take long for the virus to find me. I’ve been down with a fever for a few days now. This means two things: one, I’ve stopped taking cold showers for the time being, and two, I couldn’t go the gym to exercise. Instead of being hard on myself, I remembered ground rule #2 and chose to be flexible. No quitting, but adapting to the circumstances. So, welcome to week 2: hydration.
The goal: drinking three liters of water or herbal tea each day. I don’t think I need to convince anyone that properly hydrating is a good idea. A quick google search will show you a myriad of benefits, from aiding digestion to keeping your joints nicely cushioned. The main reasons I’ve chosen to focus on hydration is that I know drinking more water makes me feel more energised, more focused, and less anxious. I’ve never drank three liters a day consistently, so I’m curious to see what it will do with my body.
I started off on a high! Habit experts have taught us to not only rely on our willpower, but instead prepare our environment to support us. I took that as my cue to go shopping, and bought myself a pretty waterjug for my home, as well as a cool water bottle for when I’m the go. They both carry exactly one liter, making it easy for me to keep track of my progress. My morning routine now includes setting myself up for success, by putting the filled water jug and a cup wherever I plan to spend the morning, so that water is always within reach. When I’m sick of water, I make a pot of herbal tea or even some lightly sweet lemonade, so that the idea of hydrating remains attractive.
With this new, self-made support system in place, staying hydrated at home is pretty easy. And within that easy success came my first lesson: three liters of water a day is too much for me. I felt incredibly bloated all day, and felt a weird pressure on my chest that did not feel good. After two days of feeling this way, I decided to adjust. My goal of three liters had been pretty arbitrary, and not worth sticking to at all cost. The end goal is health, and three liters a day did not make me feel healthy. I now aim for 2 to 2.5 liters a day, drinking a little more only when I exercise or when it’s particularly hot outside.
If you’re having difficulty finding the right daily amount for you, here’s what I learned from my research: the perfect daily amount does not exist. It differs per person, and per day. It depends on the weather, your level of actitivity, and even the food you eat, as some foods contain water too. Listen to your body, and accept that it will probably take some trial and error to figure it out.
My main challenge in meeting my daily habits continues to be combining it with my job. I tend to be busy from the moment I walk in until the moment I leave, and I simply forget to take care of myself. So that’s challenge for the weeks to come: carving out moments of self care while on the job. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Next week we’re back to regular programming, which means I’ll start exercising! I’m actually excited to get back into it. I’ll also introduce a slightly tweaked format, as I continue to give shape to my Slightly Better project.
Wishing you a lovely day, and I’ve you’ve been on your own self-improvement journey, please let me know how it’s going!
Until next week,
Hadewych