Brain’s Guide to Hydration – Why We Don’t Drink Enough Water And How We Can Fix It
By neuroscientist Dr Gabija Toleikyte
We’ve all been there: a glass of water sits untouched on our desk while we reach for a coffee, a sugary fizzy drink, or a snack. We know, in our rational, logical minds, that we should be drinking more water. Our bodies are 60% water, after all, and countless doctors and health experts tell us it’s crucial for everything from brain function to organ health. So, if we know we should, why is it so difficult to actually do it?
The answer, as with so many of our daily struggles, lies deep within the architecture of our brains—specifically, the ancient parts that govern our habits. As I explored in Chapter 1 of my book “Why the F*ck Can’t I Change?: Neuroscientist’s insights to show that you can”, the struggle to change is often a battle between our “mammal brain” and our “human brain.” And when it comes to many healthy habits such as drinking enough water, the mammal brain often wins.
The Power of Habits and the Pull of the Mammal Brain
Our brains are designed to create habits to save energy and ensure our survival. The mammal brain, responsible for keeping us safe and comfortable, loves efficiency. It learns by repetition, creating powerful neural networks for the actions we do most often. This is what we call automaticity: the ability to perform an action without conscious thought. It’s why we can drive to work without really “thinking” about it or make our morning coffee on autopilot.
Unfortunately, our brains can create habits we don’t necessarily want. For many of us, the habit of reaching for a sugary drink or a snack is deeply ingrained. This habit serves a need, as explained by the “habit loop”—a trigger, an action, and an immediate reward. The trigger could be a slump in energy, the action is grabbing a sugary treat, and the reward is a quick hit of energy and pleasure (created by brain chemical called dopamine).
Drinking plain water, on the other hand, often doesn’t fit neatly into this loop, especially in the short term. The need is there—thirst—but the action of drinking water can feel bland, and the reward isn’t an immediate sugar rush. Your rational, human brain knows the long-term benefits—clear skin, better concentration, and improved organ function—but the mammal brain, with its focus on immediate gratification, isn’t impressed. It seeks the quick dopamine hit, not the promise of a healthier future. However, when the water itself carries natural character – like TICHĖ natural mineral water, rich in naturally balanced minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, lithium – it can enhance the perception of taste.
Making Hydration a Dopamine-Fuelled Habit
So, how do we hack this system? We have to find a way to make drinking water feel less like a chore and more like a pleasure. We need to activate the brain’s reward centres and make the act of hydrating more compelling for our mammal brain.
This is where the principles of habit formation come into play. We can retrain our brains to find the act of drinking water rewarding. Here’s how:
Start with the Small Steps: Your ancient emotional centre, the amygdala, hates big, sudden changes. Trying to go from zero to a gallon of water a day overnight is a recipe for failure and anxiety. Make a small change, like having a full glass of water first thing in the morning before your coffee (make sure to maintain the same trigger – before coffee ritual or as soon as you get into the office). Do this for a few weeks, and then add another small step. This gradual approach keeps your mammal brain feeling safe.
Make it a Sensory Experience: The brain’s reward system is heavily influenced by pleasure. Plain tap water might not do the trick, but what if you made it more appealing? This is where your water choice comes in. The taste of high-quality mineral water, like the pure, crisp taste of Tichė, can provide that pleasant sensory experience. Because of the high amount of beneficial sulphates found in Tichė natural mineral water, it has a unique taste. Tichė is known and appreciated by health specialists and nutritionists not only because of its unique mineral composition but also because of its naturally alkaline pH, which ranges from 7.6 to 8, also, what’s important – brilliant design of the bottles. We can all agree, that the way we present water or food to ourselves, it really makes a difference.
Tie Hydration to a Reward: We all have needs, and the key to changing habits is to meet the same needs in a new way. For many, a fizzy drink provides a pleasant, rewarding experience. To create a new, water-based habit, try tying a healthy reward to your hydration goal. Perhaps after you finish a full bottle of water, you allow yourself to take a five-minute break to listen to a favourite song or step outside for some fresh air. Over time, your brain will begin to associate the act of drinking water with this positive feeling.
Keep Long-Term Rewards in Sight: While the mammal brain craves immediate gratification, your powerful prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the seat of rational thinking and long-term planning. It’s what enables you to delay gratification. Write down all the specific benefits you will experience now and in the long term: clearer skin for that important event, more energy for your hobbies, and sharper focus for work (that is especially true for mineral water as brain cells need these particles for optimal functioning). Keep this list visible to remind your PFC of the long-term rewards, because your mammal brain will forget.
By applying these neuroscience-based principles, you can transform the simple act of drinking water into a rewarding, automatic habit. It’s not about willpower; it’s about understanding how your brain works and giving it the pleasant, dopamine-fuelled nudges it needs to make the right choices for your long-term health. So, fill up that glass, maybe with some TICHĖ natural mineral water, and make hydration a pleasure your brain will crave.
TICHĖ natural mineral water is a unique, unmodified water of exceptional natural composition, balanced by minerals formed in the depths of the earth 13,000 years ago. Extracted from a 689 m deep spring and protected by 35 layers of soil, it remains untouched by environmental or air pollution and is bottled without any contact with the environment. Flowing directly through certified food-grade stainless-steel pipes, it requires no purification, adsorption, or iron removal, thus reaching the bottle in its purest, original form. Medium in mineralisation, TICHĖ contains essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sulphates, sodium, chlorine, potassium, fluorine, lithium, bromine, making it suitable for daily unlimited consumption and beneficial for a healthier lifestyle. Thanks to its excellent mineral balance, TICHĖ offers a pleasant, crystal-mild taste: non-carbonated water perfectly complements light, delicate dishes, while carbonated water enhances rich flavours. This natural harmony of minerals and refreshing bubbles quenches thirst, revitalises the body, and provides an exceptional sensory experience.