I work in front of my computer for about 8 hours a day and I always forget to drink water. I can't be bothered getting up all the time, plus I don't know if those 2 liters they mention are for everyone or if it depends on each person. Is there some way to remember without having to think about it all day?
The most practical thing is to set an alarm on your phone every two hours, like at 10, 12, 2, 4... that way you don't even have to think about it and you just drink. It's annoying at first but then it becomes automatic, trust me it's a thousand times easier than trying to remember without help.
The 2 liters thing isn't a universal rule, it really depends on your weight, how much physical activity you do, and even the climate where you live. What's true though is that staring at a screen all day dehydrates you more than you think, so something less than that would still do you good. The easiest way to not forget is to keep a water bottle on your desk and set an alarm on your phone every two hours, or if that bugs you, just take a sip every time you switch tabs or finish checking an email. Another thing that works pretty well is getting one of those cups with hourly markers they sell, so you know what time you should've drunk how much without having to think about it.
I'm at home glued to my computer and the exact same thing happens to me, so what I do is leave a bottle of water right on top of my work desk where I can't help but see it! Honestly, once you have it there within reach you stop being so lazy about drinking because it's literally just a click away. The whole 2 liters thing is pretty generic, yeah, but in your case working 8 hours in front of the screen you probably need way more because that dehydration they mention is real - between the air conditioning and the concentration it takes to stare at the screen you lose fluids without even noticing. The best thing is that you don't get obsessed with an exact number but instead try to refill that bottle two or three times during the workday, so without thinking about it constantly it ends up happening more naturally.
Don't take the 2-liter rule as if it's some universal law, that's way too arbitrary. What works better is just keeping a glass or bottle next to your computer and drinking without thinking about it, like when you're checking something on the screen you take a sip. Plus most of the water you need comes from food, so if you eat well during the day you don't need to obsess over exact liters. If you keep forgetting, set an alarm on your phone every hour, at least for the first few weeks, until it becomes a habit.
How about instead of thinking in exact liters, you focus on having zero thirst throughout the day? The thing is, in front of the screen you lose that thirst sensation, so the 2 liters are just an average reference, but you need to drink more or less depending on your body, your office's air conditioning, and how sedentary you are. What worked great for me is setting phone alarms every hour - it's not that many, and that way you get used to it without it feeling like a burden - combined with keeping the bottle always in sight on your desk, which is what others already said. But what nobody mentioned: try starting the day with a big glass as soon as you get to the office and another before you leave; that already covers you like half a liter without thinking about it, and the rest during the day gets completed more easily.
Forget about the obsession with exactly 2 liters, that's just marketing nonsense and it's only gonna make you more anxious. What actually makes sense is that when you're staring at a screen, your body forgets it's thirsty, so you end up dehydrated without even realizing it. In my case, the exact same thing happened when I started gaming more, sitting in a chair for hours, and I'd notice I hadn't drunk anything all day.
The most practical thing is not to depend on your memory but on your environment. Put a big water bottle or a glass right on your desk, literally where you have to see it every time you look up from the screen. That way water becomes automatic, just part of your work routine. If you really want a reference point, most people need somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5 liters depending on how sedentary you are, the climate, whether you exercise or not. But honestly, if you're not excessively thirsty during the day and your urine is clear, you're well hydrated. If you see it's dark, then drink more.
Another thing that works: get a bottle with time markers on it, you can find them anywhere. It forces you to reach a certain level by a certain time without having to constantly ask yourself "have I drunk enough?" And really, you don't need to get up constantly if you have the water within reach from the start.
Are you waiting to feel thirsty, or does that sensation just disappear when you're focused on the screen? Because that's exactly the problem. In front of the computer, your body doesn't tell you it needs water, so those 2 liters are more of a baseline than a magic number for everyone. What matters more is your context: if you work somewhere with air conditioning, dry climate, your weight, and whether you exercise. Someone who weighs 50 kilos doesn't need the same as someone who weighs 80.
What almost nobody mentions is that most people who work in front of a screen end up drinking coffee or tea throughout the day, and that actually dehydrates you even more. It's not bad, but if you do it a lot, you need to compensate with more plain water. The best strategy I found is putting a large bottle (like 500 ml or a liter) right on your desk before you start working, not off to the side where you can ignore it. It's there, in your sight, and every time you lift your head you take a few sips. It's not constantly getting up, it's just having it within reach.
Another thing that works is dividing the day into blocks: one bottle in the morning before lunch, another between lunch and 5 p.m. That way you're not thinking about "drinking 2 liters today" but just emptying that bottle while you work. And the real indicator of whether you're well hydrated is simple: if your urine is clear or very pale yellow, you're good. If it's dark, you need to drink more.
Don't wait until you're thirsty, because the screen totally kills that feeling 😅 Your coworkers are right that the 2 liters thing is super generic, but the real trick is easier: just put a big bottle (like 750 ml or 1 liter) right on your desk and drink from it without thinking about it, the way you'd drink coffee. If you see it there all the time you'll end up drinking without any effort, plus you won't have to get up every five minutes. Your body will ask for more water depending on what you need, but while you're working in front of the computer you're going to need way more than you think because dehydration is real with the air conditioning and everything 💧
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