How to track your water intake
It can be hard to keep track of how much water you’re drinking throughout the day when you have a never-ending to-do list and plenty of other things occupying your mind.
But did you realise just how much a lack of water can hold you back? All those supplements you’ve been buying can be replaced by just making sure you’re getting your 6-8 glasses of water a day.
Of course, with any new habit comes the importance of consistency. That takes us back to tracking how much water you’re drinking a day. To help you out, we’ve included some low-effort ideas for tracking how much water you drink each day.
Looking for a way to make topping up your glass easier? Our water coolers provide a constant supply of fresh, clean drinking water, so you don’t have to mess about with filter jugs or bottled water.
How to track water intake (quick steps)
Here’s a quick, simplified rundown to help you get started on water tracking.
- Pick a simple daily target: If you hardly drink any water, start small with 2-3 glasses a day, then work up to 6-8 glasses as you get more consistent with it.
- Choose one tracking method for the next 7 days: Don’t mix methods at first; just pick one that is easier for you to stick to. This could be a marked bottle (quickest), a notes tally on your phone, or a hydration app with reminders.
- Set 3–5 reminders during the day: This could be early morning, at lunchtime, mid-afternoon, and later on in the evening so you keep sipping.
- Log every drink straight away: Log every glass of water you drink, even if it’s a small one. At the end of the day, you’ll feel better looking back at it. Plus, it’s visual evidence that you CAN do it.
- Use a consistent cup or bottle size: A “glass” means different things to different people, so use one main bottle (e.g., 500 ml or 750 ml) to keep your tracking accurate.
7 best ways to track water consumption
As with any new habit, getting started is the hardest part. Luckily for you, we’re here to make it easier with a few simple ways to track your progress without feeling overwhelmed.
Try a few different ones out to see which is better for you. We guarantee that once you increase your water intake, you’ll start to feel more alert, focused, and motivated, whether at work or home.
1. Use a bottle as your built-in tracker
Probably the easiest way to track your water intake is to simply buy a bottle of water with a tracker on the side.
You can find these in almost any shop or online. Each one comes with litre markings on the side and tells you what level you should be down to at each hour of the day. Or, you could simply create one yourself by drawing on an old water bottle with a washable pen.
2. Track water intake with apps
Everything can be done on our phones nowadays, including tracking your daily water consumption.
Hydration apps, such as Waterllama and WaterMinder, work well if you like prompts and simple logging. You can find many on the App Store, but the best ones let you set a daily target, record drinks quickly, and view your progress over a week to spot patterns.
Choose 3–5 reminder times that match your routine, such as after your first emails, mid-morning, at lunch, mid-afternoon, and early evening.
3. Create a notes app or tally chart
The trusty notes app is another great way to simply jot down how much water you’ve drunk in a day.
This is more suited to people who aren’t too organised and just want to keep a simple note of it. The trick is to keep it easy and repeatable; create a daily template such as “Goal: 8 × 250ml” or “Goal: 3 refills”, then add tick boxes you can tap through the day.
If you prefer something that’s always in your line of sight, create a visual tally chart and place it in your fridge or on your desk. You can even put a discreet tracker by the water point as a friendly prompt for your colleagues or staff.
4. Add water break reminders to Google Calendar
Google Calendar reminders are ideal if your day is full of meetings and time blocks, since they appear where you already look.
Add short, recurring events titled ‘water break’ to your calendar so they pop up as a reminder to hydrate throughout the workday. You can also add a reminder after your most common meeting slot, since that’s when people naturally stand up to stretch their legs.
If you run a business, you can even set a shared reminder to gently encourage your staff to drink water.
5. Invest in a smart bottle
If you’re more tech-savvy, why not switch out your old water bottle for one that provides you with analytical data?
Many smart bottles track intake based on sips or refills and can send reminders when you’re falling behind, which is useful for people who get absorbed in work and forget to drink.
Some even provide feedback and prompts to help you stay motivated toward your drinking goal. Just make sure it’s not too big to carry in your bag and is easy to charge throughout the day.
6. Start habit stacking
One of the best ways to stay consistent with a new habit is by habit stacking.
To improve your water intake, remind yourself to drink by doing it alongside a task you do every day. For example, drink a glass of water when:
- Brushing your teeth
- Making a morning brew
- Before each meeting
- When you get back from the school run
- Before you start cooking tea
Choose one pairing to start off with and check in with yourself to make sure you’re doing it throughout the day.
7. Install a water cooler
Sometimes, staying consistent with a new habit means ensuring you’re in an environment that supports it.
A water cooler provides a clear, reliable water point that makes refilling quick and consistent, which is exactly what tracking methods like bottle refills, tally sheets, and apps rely on.
In a workplace, it’s best to place a water cooler in social areas, like kitchens or meeting rooms, or right next to desks. For homes, a compact cooler, such as our Crystal Mountain Avalanche desktop cooler, keeps chilled water ready to go, often leading you to reach for water more throughout the day.
Stay on track with Cool Water Company
If you’re ready to make tracking your water intake feel simple (rather than another thing to remember), start by setting yourself up for success.
A reusable bottle and a few reminders are a great start, but staying on top of your goal requires having fresh, great-tasting water available whenever you need it.
At Cool Water Company, our bottled water cooler provides clean spring water, while our mains-fed coolers offer a 24/7 supply of fresh, filtered water.
Try one of our coolers for yourself today with a free trial!