Water habit tracker

Most adults need about 2.7 litres (women) to 3.7 litres (men) of water a day in total, from food and drinks combined, according to the US National Academies. With about a fifth coming from food, that's roughly 9 cups (women) to 13 cups (men) to drink. As a habit, the simplest version is a glass with each meal and one before your first coffee, ticked off once a day.

The hard part isn't knowing that. You don't decide not to drink water — you just get to four in the afternoon and realise you've had one coffee and nothing else. A habit fixes that by taking the remembering out of it.

How much water should you drink?

"Eight glasses a day" is a handy rule of thumb rather than a precise target. How much you need depends on your size, how active you are, the weather and what you eat — and food and other drinks count too. If you have a medical condition, or your doctor has given you a number, use that.

For a habit, the exact amount matters less than consistency. A goal you actually hit every day beats a perfect number you never reach.

Make it a habit, not a goal

"Drink more water" is a wish. A habit has a moment and a size. A few that work well:

• One glass before your first coffee or tea. You're already standing in the kitchen.
• A glass with every meal. Three meals, three glasses, no extra thinking.
• Refill your bottle each time it's empty, and keep it where you can see it. On the desk, not in the bag.
• A glass when you get home. A natural pause in the day that's easy to attach to.

Pick the one that fits your day best and start there. You can add another once the first one is automatic.

Remembering without thinking about it

Water is a habit that relies on cues more than willpower:

• Keep water in sight. A full bottle on your desk gets drunk; one in the fridge doesn't.
• Use a bottle you like. It sounds trivial. It isn't.
• Link it to things you already do — after brushing your teeth, before each meeting, when you sit down to eat.
• Front-load the day. It's easier to finish strong if you're already halfway by lunch.

Tracking your water habit

The simplest way to track water is by the day, not by the glass: did you hit your target today, yes or no? Counting every glass turns tracking into a chore, and chores get skipped.

Tick the day off when you've done it, and let the streak build. If you did it and forgot to mark it, fill the day in afterwards — the point of the record is to be honest, not perfect. If you miss a day, the rule that helps most is to never miss twice in a row.

Start today

Add "Drink 8 glasses of water" to the free tracker — or your own version of it — and tick off today. There's nothing to download and no account needed; sign in later if you want your streak on your phone as well.