Drinking enough water throughout the day is essential to living a healthy lifestyle, and Brittany Viklund is here today with tips on how to ensure you drink the proper amount each day.

I’m going to assume that by now we all know the importance and countless benefits of drinking enough water. For the past 7 years, I have been drinking anywhere from 2-4 liters of water each day, but I wasn’t always a water guzzler. As a kid, I grew up drinking soda and I used to hate the taste of water. I vividly remember moments where I was thirsty and chugging a soda to “hydrate.” After graduating college almost 10 years ago, I started actively working to increase my water intake, and what I discovered was that the more water I drank, the more I craved and needed it.

Water consumption became a habit for me and here are 5 easy ways you can drink more water:

Infuse Your Water With Fresh Fruit

If you are used to only drinking sugary and sweet beverages instead of water, the transition to water will likely feel a little jarring. You can train yourself to enjoy water, but you may want to start by adding some fresh fruit and herbs to your water to ease the transition. Sliced strawberries, raspberries, mint leaves and sliced citrus (or any combination of those) are my favorite.

Drink From A Straw

I found that when I have a cup with a reusable straw, I am much more likely to sip from it constantly. This was especially true when I worked at a computer for long stretches of time. I was able to type and sip without disturbing my workflow.

Be Conscious Of What You Bring Home

If you are trying to consume more water, make it easier on yourself by not bringing home other drink options from the grocery store. When I stopped buying cases of soda, I stopped drinking soda and I learned to reach for water instead.

Treat Yourself

You should treat yourself to a 1-liter reusable water bottle that you love. I never go anywhere without my bkr 1-liter water bottle. Having a 1-liter bottle reduces the amount of times I refill my water bottle, plus having a water bottle that I love means I am more likely to bring it with me when I leave the house. You know how you never leave the house without your phone? You can also create the habit of never leaving without your water bottle.

Give Yourself Reminders

This is not something I have personally done, but I have seen this be very successful for others. There are apps you can download that will remind you to sip on H20 or you can simply set reminders in your phone that ping you to do so. I have also seen water bottles that have encouraging indicators on them and even planner pages that motivate you to drink. As you build the habit to hydrate, reminders can help keep you on track.

Brittany is a lover of routines, books, simple joys and anything creative. With a degree in marketing and advertising, she worked in early childhood education for 7 years before pursuing her creative work full-time as an illustrator, blogger, photographer and becoming a mother.

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