I used to think all the conventional advice about staying hydrated, in a general sense, was nonsense. I used to hate to drink water on its own (“It’s booooring!”) and would basically avoid it at all costs in favor of sugary drinks. Eventually, I kicked that (because everything in moderation), but was still skeptical about the whole eight, 8 ounce glasses of water per day thing.

I’m still not sure about 64 ounces per day, but there is a marked difference between how I feel when I’m making an effort to stay hydrated versus when I’m lazy about making sure I drink enough.

My skin looks better, brighter, more supple. I physically feel better.

It’s a night-and-day difference. If I can make my skin look good and my body feel good just by drinking half of what is recommended, why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t you?

The tapwater in my home is not ideal for drinking (I’m not a snob – we just happen to live at the literal end of the line for our municipality, so we end up with a lot of ick in our water). For a while, we were spending WAY too much on bottled water, and Brita or PUR faucet filters or pitchers weren’t a great option for us with how fast we’d go through the filters. Eventually, we got a water cooler that has both heating and cooling (but both can be turned off if you wish to save energy).

For me, making water that didn’t suck readily available makes it far easier to stay hydrated. Making it easy was, and remains, key to success for me. I have a great Contigo Grace water bottle (I mentioned it in a Favorites, even) to tote around with me. We have this wonderful Primula infusion pitcher so that I can flavor water with fruit without having to make it crazy sweet – it’s a nice way to change it up (and is great for infused teas and adult beverages, too).

Anyway, what I’m getting at ultimately is that in Winter we can frequently forget to, figuratively and literally, water ourselves. We might feel we aren’t exerting ourselves as much (but that isn’t necessarily true, especially if you have to shovel snow!), so maybe it doesn’t cross our mind. We’re drinking other tasty things to warm us up – hot ciders, hot chocolate, libations. If you avoid water in winter because it’s cold, listen: no one said your water has to be cold. The refrigeration on my water cooler is shut off more months of the year than it is turned on because I prefer room-temperature water anyway (and it’s easier on your system to process).

This winter, and always, be sure you stay hydrated.

Water isn’t only for when you’re feeling too warm or overexerted. The absence of flavor doesn’t have to be a bad thing – and if you can’t get past it, there are infuser pitchers and bottles to help you.