Wonderful: that’s how I feel at the end of the day when I’m able to reach my water intake goal – four liters. It can be tough to maintain that consistently, but I notice my skin clears up, I’m more alert, and I feel more energized when I am drinking a lot of water throughout the day. The downside is pretty obvious – frequent restroom visits – which can be cumbersome at the office, especially when you’re busy. However, I think there are a few things we can all do to help drink significantly more water – unless of course you already drink enough.

First of all, I find it incredibly helpful to have a one liter bottle to help track how much I’ve ingested throughout the day. I have a Camelbak Chute – as does my wife. I try to top it off in the morning, from the moment I wake up and finish that first one liter before I get to the office in the morning. That gives me two hours to knock it down. The first half of that bottle should be easy, especially if you do it right away out of bed, and then, I sip the remaining half on my commute to the office.

Now, here is the trick while I’m at the office: I try to drink 250ml (about 8oz) everything I use the restroom – either before or after. It’s like a little alarm I use to remind myself to take a few gulps of water. My goal is to drink two full bottles while I’m at the office before I head to the gym.

The last bottle is the easiest of all – after the gym. I drink plenty of water throughout my workout (which I do not count toward my daily goal), but when I’m in the car driving home, I am very thirsty. That’s a great time to work on that final liter of water. Before you know it, you’ve ingested a gallon of water in the day.

If you’re not going to the gym, just try to drink that last bottle of water on your way home and while you’re at home.

You’ll notice more frequency in the restroom, but I promise, you’ll also feel more alert, and think of the benefit, you’ll be putting in that many more steps each day. I’m “lucky” that I get to take two flights of stairs each time, really keeps me active throughout the day at work.