I used to get headaches every afternoon around 3pm. I blamed screen time, stress, the fluorescent lights at work. Then a doctor asked how much water I drank and I realized I had maybe two glasses a day — both with meals. The rest was coffee.

Turns out you cannot fool your body with coffee. But you can trick yourself into drinking more water without forcing down eight glasses of plain tap water.

Make It Visible

I keep a clear water bottle on my desk with markings for each hour. Seeing the water level drop is satisfying in the same weird way a progress bar is satisfying. If the bottle is opaque or in the fridge, I forget it exists.

I fill it every morning and aim to finish it by lunch, refill, finish by dinner. Two bottles = about 64 ounces. I do not always hit it but I get closer than the two glasses I used to drink.

Make It Not Taste Like Nothing

Plain water is boring. I accept this. So I add things that make it taste like something without adding sugar. Cucumber slices, frozen berries, a sprig of mint, lemon wedges. Keep a pitcher of infused water in the fridge and it actually feels like a treat.

Another trick: herbal tea counts as water. Peppermint, chamomile, rooibos — anything without caffeine hydrates you. I drink a mug of peppermint tea in the afternoon instead of another coffee and it helps both the hydration and the afternoon headache.

Anchor It to Existing Habits

I drink a full glass of water before every meal. Not during — before, while I am cooking or waiting for food. This alone gets me three glasses a day. I also drink a glass right after brushing my teeth in the morning — the bathroom faucet is right there.

Attaching water to things you already do is way easier than remembering to drink water as its own separate task.