Have you ever had one of those afternoons when suddenly everything is annoying? You’re tired. Your head feels a little fuzzy. You can’t concentrate. Someone asks you a perfectly reasonable question and your internal response is, Why is everyone so needy today? You start wondering whether you need a nap, a vacation, a personality transplant, or possibly to move to a cabin in the woods where nobody knows your name. Then you realize you’ve had three cups of coffee and approximately four sips of water all day. Oops. Sometimes the problem isn’t nearly as complicated as we think. Sometimes we just need water.
When we think about getting healthier, our minds tend to jump to the big things. Lose weight. Exercise more. Completely overhaul our diet. Get 10,000 steps. Give up sugar. Meal prep every Sunday. Develop the discipline of an Olympic athlete by Tuesday. Meanwhile, our body is quietly saying, Could I just get a glass of water over here? Water plays a role in almost everything our bodies do. It helps regulate body temperature, supports digestion, transports nutrients, lubricates joints, and helps our kidneys remove waste. Even mild dehydration can leave us feeling tired, headachy or less mentally sharp.
Of course, drinking a glass of water isn’t going to solve every headache, bad mood or tired afternoon Sometimes we genuinely need rest. Sometimes we need food. Sometimes stress has been running the show. Sometimes something medical needs attention. The point isn’t to blame everything on dehydration. The point is to remember the basics. Healthy doesn’t have to be dramatic. I think this is where we sometimes make healthy habits harder than they need to be. We assume that if something is going to make a difference, it has to be impressive. It doesn’t. A healthier life is usually built through incredibly ordinary choices repeated over time. Drink some water. Eat something nourishing. Move your body. Get some sleep. Take your medication. Step outside. Breathe. Repeat tomorrow.
None of those things make a particularly exciting before-and-after video. 😂 They do, however, tell your body something important: I’m paying attention to you. I’m taking care of you. If drinking enough water doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t rely on remembering. Attach it to something you already do. Have a glass when you get up. Drink some water while the coffee is brewing. Keep a bottle beside the chair where you read or watch television. Take a drink every time you sit down for a meal. Fill your bottle before leaving the house. Add lemon, lime, cucumber, berries or a sugar-free flavouring if plain water makes you feel like you’re being punished for crimes you don’t remember committing. 😂
Habit stacking was created by James Clear, and it works because you’re connecting a new behaviour to something your brain already recognizes. You don’t have to suddenly become a person who carries around a gallon jug covered in inspirational stickers.Just make water easier to reach.
Scripture says: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 1 Corinthians 6:19 I don’t read that as God demanding that we have perfect bodies or perfect health habits. I see an invitation to value the body we’ve been given. Our bodies have carried us through a lot. They’ve worked, healed, adapted, aged, struggled, strengthened and kept showing up. Caring for them doesn’t have to come from criticism. It can come from gratitude.
Instead of thinking, I really should drink more water, we can shift the thought slightly: My body deserves to be cared for, and this is one simple way I can do that today. That feels very different. Start with one glass. You don’t need another complicated health plan. Maybe this week your healthy habit is simply to drink a little more water than you usually do. Put the glass beside the coffee maker. Carry the bottle. Set the reminder. Add the lemon. Drink the water.
Small habits don’t feel particularly powerful while we’re doing them. Their power comes from what happens when we keep doing them. God has entrusted us with bodies that deserve care, not perfection. Today, caring for yours might be as simple as filling your glass. And if you’re currently reading this while holding your third coffee of the morning…I’m not judging. I’m just suggesting you find the water bottle. 😂💧
Add comment
Comments