How much water should you drink? Setting a goal you’ll hit

“Eight glasses a day” is the rule most people have heard. In reality, how much water you need depends on your size, how active you are, the weather and what you eat. This article explains how to set a goal that suits you, and how to actually reach it.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition that affects fluids, follow your doctor’s guidance.

Start from general guidance, then adjust

Health authorities publish general reference amounts for total water intake, which include water from food and all drinks. For example, the European Food Safety Authority suggests around 2.0 litres a day for adult women and 2.5 litres for adult men, from all sources. Food typically provides a meaningful share of that, so the amount you drink is less.

You’ll likely need more:

• On hot days or in warm climates.
• When you exercise, especially for longer sessions.
• When you’re unwell with a fever or stomach upset.

Turn it into glasses

Litres are hard to track. Glasses are easy. Pick the glass or bottle you use most, then set a daily goal in glasses that you can realistically hit. Seven is a reasonable starting point for many people with a standard glass, and you can raise or lower it after a week.

It’s better to set a goal you’ll reach most days than an ambitious one you miss. A goal you hit builds the habit; a goal you always miss gets ignored.

Tricks for remembering to drink

• Anchor drinks to routines. A glass when you wake up, one with each meal, one at each afternoon break.
• Keep water in sight. A glass on your desk gets drunk; one in the kitchen doesn’t.
• Drink before coffee. Have a glass of water first, then your coffee.
• Use your calendar. A glass at the start of each meeting is an easy cue.

Track it without thinking

Counting in your head stops working by mid-afternoon. A simple visual tracker helps: one mark for each glass. In Journal’s Health page, you tap a drop for every glass, and you set your daily goal in Settings (it starts at 7). History shows your average over the last week, so you can see whether to adjust the goal.

Signs you might need more

Feeling thirsty, dark yellow urine, headaches or tiredness in the afternoon can all be signs you need more fluids. If you’re drinking plenty and still feel unwell, see a doctor.