One of the biggest health mistakes we make on a daily basis is failing to drink the recommended water needed for our optimal health.

According to certified nutritionist, Brad Davidson, adults should drink half their body weight (pounds) in ounces every day. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds, you should be drinking 65 ounces (or about 8 cups) per day.

Although we’re constantly reminded by health experts about the importance of drinking the required water daily, we’re faced with daily tasks and responsibilities that distract us and prevent us from getting it done.

A few years ago, drinking more water was one of my new year’s resolutions. While I haven’t been 100 percent committed to this goal, I can say that my water intake has dramatically improved compared to previous years.

There are a few tricks that helped me make these improvements, and I want to share them with you in hopes you make this positive change in your life as well. Below are some simple tips and tricks that can help you drink your necessary daily water intake.

Do the math

Before challenging yourself to drink “more” water, you should take the time to calculate how much water your body needs in the first place. By using Brad Davidson’s recommendation, I found out that 8 cups of water were optimal for my body. This made it easier for me to keep track of how much improvement I was actually making.

Invest in bigger bottles

Before making it a goal to drink more water, I was probably only drinking a few cups of water per day. There was no intention behind it, so I would only drink when I was actually thirsty. After doing the math and understanding my body’s needs, I realized that a bigger water bottle would encourage me to drink more. Having to refill my water bottle less has kept it from being a chore.

Keep it handy

Keeping my water bottle nearby is a great reminder to drink water even when I’m not thirsty. I don’t have to stop what I’m doing and walk to another to another room to constantly drink water. I take my reusable water bottle to meetings, while in the car, and even while running errands.

Set reminders

As I was beginning my water challenge, I realized that I needed a bigger push in order to successfully complete the goal. I heard about the Flo app through a family member and have been using it since as a daily reminder to drink more water. You can download the app for free and set reminders as frequently as you’d like.