Draft for review. Highlighted [TODO] items are awaiting confirmation.

Hydration and small habits that stick

Bejka Journal · [TODO: publish date] · 4 min read

Big health overhauls tend to fade by February. Small habits, done consistently, are more likely to last. Hydration is a good place to start because it's simple, cheap and easy to track.

How much should you drink?

The Eatwell Guide recommends six to eight cups or glasses of fluid a day. Water, lower-fat milk and sugar-free drinks, including tea and coffee, all count.

For a fuller picture, the European Food Safety Authority set adequate intakes for total water, which includes water from food, at 2.0 litres a day for women and 2.5 litres a day for men. Some of that comes from the food you eat, so drinks make up the rest.

You'll need more in hot weather, when you're physically active, or if you're unwell. A practical sign is the colour of your urine: pale straw is generally a good sign, while dark yellow suggests you could drink more.

What to drink

Water is the best everyday choice: no calories, no sugar, no cost from the tap.
Tea and coffee count towards your fluids. Keep an eye on caffeine and added sugar.
Fruit juice and smoothies should be limited to a combined total of 150ml a day, according to NHS advice, because of their free sugars.
Sugary drinks are best swapped for water or sugar-free versions.

Making it a habit

Knowing what to do is easy. Doing it every day is harder. These approaches tend to help:

Attach it to something you already do. Have a glass of water when you put the kettle on, or with your Bejka strip each morning. Linking a new habit to an existing one makes it automatic faster.

Make it visible. Keep a bottle on your desk or in your bag. If water is in sight, you'll drink more of it.

Make it easy. Fill a jug in the morning so it's waiting in the fridge. Reduce the steps between you and the habit.

Start smaller than you think. One extra glass a day is better than a target you abandon. Build from there.

Track lightly. A tick on a calendar or a note in the app helps you see progress without becoming a chore.

Other small habits worth stacking

A daily walk. The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. A brisk 20-minute walk most days gets you close.
Muscle strength twice a week. The same guidelines recommend muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days.
One more portion of veg. Add one to dinner and work towards five a day.
A consistent wake time. Covered in our [sleep basics](01-sleep-basics.md) article.

Be kind to yourself

Missing a day doesn't undo your progress. What matters is getting back to it the next day. That's exactly what coaching is for: someone to help you set realistic goals and pick things up again when life gets busy.

Sources

GOV.UK / PHE, The Eatwell Guide: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide
NHS, Water, drinks and your health: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/water-drinks-nutrition/
EFSA, Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for water (2010): https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1459
GOV.UK, UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines (2019): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/physical-activity-guidelines-uk-chief-medical-officers-report

This article is general information, not medical advice. More from the Journal →