# How to Drink More Water: Simple Reminders That Work > Realistic ways to drink more water: tie it to things you already do, keep water in sight and use a few well-timed reminders instead of an app you'll ignore. Source: https://www.getmindie.app/blog/drink-more-water (published 2026-10-29) You know you should drink more water. You even bought the nice bottle. But by 3pm you realise you've had two coffees and half a glass of water, and you have a headache. Water is easy to forget because nothing reminds you. Thirst often shows up late, and a busy day pushes it right out of your head. The fix isn't willpower or a complicated tracking app. It's a few cues built into your day. A quick note: how much water you need depends on your body, activity, the weather and your health. If you have a medical condition or are unsure what's right for you, ask your doctor. This post is about remembering to drink, not how much. ## Why hydration apps often don't work Plenty of people download a water app, log every glass for a week, and then stop. Common reasons: - **Logging is a chore.** Opening an app and tapping every time you drink adds friction. - **Too many notifications.** Hourly pings become background noise fast. - **Another app to check.** It's one more icon on a screen full of icons. What works better is fewer, smarter nudges, plus habits that don't need a reminder at all. ## Tie water to things you already do The easiest way to drink more is to attach a glass of water to moments that already happen every day. This is called habit stacking. Some anchors that work well: - **When you wake up.** Keep a glass by the bed or drink one before coffee. - **With every meal.** A glass of water on the table at breakfast, lunch and dinner. - **With every coffee or tea.** One glass of water alongside each hot drink. - **When you take vitamins or medication.** - **When you get back from a walk, the gym or the school run.** - **Before you leave the house.** That's six or more glasses' worth of moments without a single notification. For more on building small habits like this, see [how to build a habit that sticks](/blog/how-to-build-a-habit-that-sticks). ## Keep water where you can see it Out of sight really is out of mind. A few setup changes help: - **A bottle on your desk.** If it's within reach, you'll sip without thinking. - **A glass by the sink.** Filled every time you pass. - **A bottle in the car and in your bag.** - **A bottle you like.** It sounds silly, but a bottle you enjoy using gets used more. A bottle with markings (or one you know the size of) also helps you see progress without logging anything. "One full bottle by lunch, another by the end of work" is easy to track by eye. ## Use a few well-timed reminders Habits cover most of the day. Reminders cover the gaps: long meetings, busy afternoons, and days when your routine is off. ### Fewer, better-timed nudges Instead of every hour, try three or four at the points when you usually forget: - **Mid-morning,** after the first rush of work. - **Early afternoon,** when the post-lunch slump hits. - **Late afternoon,** before the commute. - **Early evening,** if you tend to forget after work. With Mindie on WhatsApp, you can set this up in one message, like "every weekday at 10:30am, 2pm and 4pm remind me to drink a glass of water". It lands in a chat you already check, so it's harder to ignore than another app badge. The [drink water reminder](/reminders/drink-water) page has more setups. ### Pair water with a break Sitting at a desk for hours makes it easy to forget both water and movement. Combine them: every time you stand up for a stretch, refill your glass. The [stretch break](/reminders/stretch-break) and [screen break](/reminders/screen-break) reminders work well for this, or try the free [break timer](/tools/break-timer). ### Close the loop A reminder you can't mark off becomes noise. If you reply done each time, you'll see whether the habit is actually happening. In Mindie, you can track water as a habit with a streak, so you can see at a glance how many days in a row you've kept it up. ## Make water more appealing If plain water bores you, a few easy tweaks: - **Add fruit.** Lemon, lime, cucumber, berries or mint. - **Try sparkling water.** Same benefit for many people, more interesting. - **Keep it cold.** A bottle in the fridge is more inviting than a warm one on the counter. - **Herbal tea.** Hot or iced, without caffeine. - **Eat water-rich foods.** Fruit, vegetables and soups add up. ## Watch out for what gets in the way Some common blockers and simple workarounds: - **"I don't want to keep going to the toilet."** Drink more earlier in the day and less in the hour or two before bed. - **"I forget when I'm out."** Keep a bottle in your bag and refill it when you can. - **"I drink loads of coffee instead."** Pair each coffee with a glass of water rather than cutting coffee. - **"I only notice when I'm already thirsty."** That's what the anchors and reminders are for. ## A simple plan for this week 1. Pick three anchors from the list above (for example: wake up, lunch, coffee). 2. Put a bottle on your desk or in your bag. 3. Set two or three reminders for the times you usually forget. 4. Reply done or tick it off when you drink. 5. At the end of the week, notice how you feel and adjust the times. That's all. No app to feed, no hourly alarms. Just water showing up at the moments that matter. If you're building a few healthy habits at once, a short [morning routine](/blog/morning-routine-reminders) is a good place to put the first glass. ## FAQ ### How often should I get a water reminder? Three or four times a day is usually enough if you also tie water to meals and coffee. Hourly reminders tend to get ignored. Put them at the times you usually forget, like mid-morning and mid-afternoon. ### How much water should I drink a day? It depends on your body, activity level, climate and health. There's no single number that fits everyone. If you're unsure or have a health condition, ask your doctor what's right for you. ### Does tea or coffee count towards hydration? Many health sources say tea, coffee and other drinks contribute to your fluid intake, as do water-rich foods. Plain water is still an easy default. If you have specific concerns, check with a doctor.