Sound the A-Llama: I’m Finally Hydrated

How the WaterLlama app solved my chronic dehydration

I know we’ve all heard it before: Drink more water.

Although I often had the best intentions to hydrate myself, life often distracted me. Happy hours, coffee breaks, or hyper-focusing on tasks left me lacking this essential nutrient.

Over time, I literally felt the effects of dehydration: dizziness, fatigue, and confusion. I just chalked it up to needing another cup of joe. But after doing some research, I realized I didn’t have a java addiction — I was chronically dehydrated.

So, like many millennials, I tried solving my problem with the help from an app. Enter WaterLlama.

Thirsty Llama

Users are tasked with keeping their llama hydrated by tracking your water intake. Little by little, my llama silhouette filled up as I logged my water in the app. When I finally reached my goal, my llama celebrated by animating and showing his cute face.

Adaptable Llama

Llama settles in with an automatic goal, but you can set a new goal as you develop your habits. I started with the standard setting and am now challenging myself to 100 oz a day. It even tracks progress over time. If you’re not into llama faces, a premium version ($7 one-time fee) offers a selection of different creatures to help you.

User-Friendly Llama

Llama gently nudged me to drink water through notifications that I programmed myself, each featuring a different benefit of drinking water. (This helped to keep me motivated as time passed.) Bright colors and an assortment of auto-loaded drinks kept me accountable for every ounce of non-water drink. Plus, it made my new habit fun!

You can also automate your water bottles by adding a customizable icon which will cut down on logging time if you’re refilling your favorite Yeti. Adding liquids appear at the bottom of the home screen that prompts an ounce suggestion at the tap of the plus icon. The simple and intuitive features carry over from container to container with minimal guess work.

The Water Llama app did (and still is) helping me tackle dehydration. As an animal lover, It’s hard not to love a tool that centers around a furry friend. Like our llama friends, we humans need fresh water daily to survive. So why not use a playful product to conquer a mundane task?

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