Drinking more water

This means making a deliberate effort to drink during the day: keeping water nearby, remembering it between tasks or choosing it instead of a soft drink. It may appeal if you regularly reach the afternoon having barely drunk anything, or need more fluid because of heat and activity. No special bottle or reminder app is required.

More is not automatically better. Fluid needs vary, and food and other drinks, including milk, tea and coffee, contribute too. If you are already getting enough, finishing another bottle does not guarantee that you will feel better. A fixed target cannot account for every person and every day.

You need access to drinking water and a way to remember it without monitoring every sip. A glass on your desk or a bottle when you go out can make that easier. Access to a toilet matters as well, especially during long journeys or work that limits your breaks.

Do not try to catch up on an app’s target by drinking everything at once late in the day. Excessive water intake can dangerously dilute blood sodium, although this is uncommon. If a clinician has told you to restrict fluids, that advice takes priority over a drinking challenge.

Refilling bottles, logging glasses and making extra bathroom trips can become tiresome, particularly when you notice no change. Sometimes only the tracking stops: you still drink, but no longer record each glass. That is not the same as neglecting yourself.

Promises of perfect skin or boundless energy can set you up for disappointment. Water does not explain or resolve every cause of tiredness. Persistent excessive thirst, especially alongside frequent urination, deserves a medical assessment rather than just a larger bottle.