E002 Hydration: The #1 Wellness Habit You’re Probably Ignoring

Have you ever felt tired, foggy or emotionally stretched and assumed it was just “life”?

If you keep thinking ‘why does this feel so hard right now?’ you might just be in a different season. That’s completely normal. This $7 Season Mapping Quiz will help you work out where you are and what to focus on next.

Hydration: The #1 Wellness Habit You’re Probably Ignoring 

In this episode of The GA Wellness Podcast, we begin our deeper dive into the HNSF pillars, starting with hydration and why it shapes your clarity, steadiness and energy more than you may realise.

I share my own story of teaching fitness on empty, running on coffee and adrenaline and the light bulb moment when I discovered my exhaustion wasn’t from doing too much. I was simply dehydrated. That one small shift created a ripple into everything that came next and it is the exact reason hydration is the first pillar of the HNSF Method.

This conversation explores hydration as an act of nervous system care and a simple way to support your mind, body and emotional steadiness in the reality of your full life.

📋 What we covered:

• A return to Episode 001 and the four HNSF pillars.
• Why hydration is the first pillar and the most overlooked habit.
• My story from “coffee on empty” to feeling clearer and more supported.
• How dehydration affects your mood, focus, energy and nervous system.
• The Australian stats that reveal most adults are not drinking enough.
• The science behind hydration and why even small drops impact how you feel.
• Simple, real-life ways to bring hydration into your day without pressure.
• What’s coming next in Episode 003 on Nutrition. 

 🧰 One Small Shift for Steady Energy
 Your free journal prompts for Episode 002:
https://gawellness.myflodesk.com/hydration

🌟 Key takeaways:

• Hydration is foundational support for your body and nervous system.
• Small, doable shifts can create meaningful changes in your energy.
• Your thirst cues, brain fog or afternoon crash might be messages, not flaws.
• This is about returning to yourself with gentleness.
• Hydration is kindness for your present and future self. 

🎧 Episodes referenced in this episode:

• E001 Welcome to GA Wellness:  My 4 Pillar Method to Sustainable Wellness
• E003 Nutrition: Nurturing Your Microbiome for Lasting Energy 

This episode invites you to notice how your body feels, honour your needs with simplicity and choose one small step that supports your energy this week.

📱 Let’s Connect

• All links, resources and ways to connect are here https://linktr.ee/GAWellness

🔔 If this episode spoke to you, lovely, please:

• Follow the podcast.
• Leave a quick review (it truly helps!)
• Share with a bestie who’s ready to reclaim wellness on her own terms.

© 2026 GA Wellness with Georgia Ann™. All content is for educational purposes only and is not medical or psychological advice.

Transcript

E002 Hydration: The #1 Wellness Habit You’re Probably Ignoring
The GA Wellness Podcast – Small Steps, Lasting Change

Georgia Ann:

Opening

I used to think I was just exhausted from life. Turns out I was deeply dehydrated and once I changed that, everything else started to shift. I'll show you how.

Podcast Intro 

Welcome to the GA Wellness podcast, Small Steps, Lasting Change. I'm your host, Georgia Ann, health coach, solo mum, and a woman who's lived through the chaos, the curveballs, and the craving for something steadier. After 20 years in the fitness industry and my own journey through grief, motherhood, and starting over, I've learned that real wellness isn't about doing more. It's about doing what matters. Each week, we cut through the noise and get real with simple, doable tools to help you feel stronger, calmer, and more like you. This isn't about perfection. It's about steady soul led progress. Because you deserve wellness that fits into your full life, not just one version of it. Let's dive in.

Welcome Back and a Quick Reflection From Episode One 

Hello, my beautiful busy Bella. Welcome back. It means a lot that you're here again, whether you're walking, folding laundry, commuting, or finally carving out a little moment for yourself. Thank you for pressing play and choosing to be here with me.

So, before we sink into today's conversation, I want to gently take us back to something we touched on in episode one. So, we explored the four foundational pillars of the HNSF Method, which was Hydration, Nutrition, Self-care and Fitness and I offered a few gentle reflection prompts.

So, which of the four pillars feels strongest to me right now? Which one might be calling out for a little bit more love and attention? What's one small supportive step I can take this week to bring things back into better balance?

Awareness is Enough 

If those questions lingered with you, whether in a journal, in the back of your mind, or even just in passing moments, that awareness is enough and I truly mean this. Just noticing and reflecting is the beginning of change.

If life swept you up and you didn't get a chance to reflect, no pressure, no guilt. So, this isn't about ticking boxes. It's about learning to return to yourself with gentleness.

So today we begin our deeper journey through the pillars, starting with hydration and not the eight glasses a day kind. I know you're probably thinking, yeah, Georgia, I know. Just drink more water.

This is about tuning into what your body is really asking for, what it needs to feel clear, supported and steady and towards the end of the episode, I'll share a beautiful way you can go deeper with this work inside my group coaching space alongside other women who are walking the same path. If this calls for you, stay with me. Let's begin.

Why we Start with Hydration 

So why start with hydration? Reason being is because it's often the habit that we overlook, but it actually quietly affects everything and I know it did for me.

So, for years I lived on coffee and adrenaline and especially back when I was teaching group fitness classes every day. You know, the loud music, high energy and big smiles. I loved it, I really did but behind it all, I actually felt foggy, flat and honestly, a little frayed.

I know this might be a little bit of a shock for some people that used to come into my group fitness classes because I wanted to serve and we all wanted to serve.

When it Hit Me, I Wasn’t Tired, I Was Dehydrated 

We wanted to be the best that we could for you, so we tried to mask them. So, it would often hit around 5pm, dizziness, scattered thoughts and just a weird heaviness in my body.

I mean, I just pushed through showing up and holding it all together and I mean, that's what we do as mums, don't we? It doesn't matter what's happening, we just hold it all together and just show up.

One day, though, I thought this was enough. I thought, I can't sustain this anymore. I actually made the one smallest change. I started drinking water. I know it sounds simple, it was actual water, so not cordial, not Powerade. I was obsessed with Powerade back then as well. Water and more than just a few sips, like glasses. Slowly, I actually started to feel the fog begin to lift.

It was like magic. Honestly. I felt steadier and clearer and, I mean, this for me was my light bulb moment. It's when I realised I wasn't tired, I was actually dehydrated and it literally shifted everything for me.

Not just physically, but actually started to feel it emotionally as well and this one tiny act of care actually created a ripple into what I do.

What Hydration Can Unlock for You 

So this episode is your gentle invitation to explore what hydration might unlock for you as a busy person and when you're trying to be there for everyone else, but not really too sure why you can't keep going yourself.

So, this is why it's the very first pillar of the HNSF Method.

A bit of background. So the HNSF Method was actually inspired by Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, because I've got HR background. It's based on the idea that we must meet our most basic physical needs before we can reach for anything higher.

Hydration sits at the very base, it's one of the simplest, most vital ways we can support our body. When we're under hydrated, everything else we try to do, whether it's nourishing our body, practising self-care or getting movement in, it feels harder because our foundation is shaky.

I know we use this analogy all the time, but it really is like building a house. If that foundation isn't right, it doesn't matter how pretty everything else is on top, it's going to fall flat and the cracks will start to show because the foundation isn't right.

So that's exactly why we start with water, because it's what's essential.

What Hydration Does in Your Body 

So, let's talk about what's actually happening when we hydrate beyond just taking just a few couple of sips from that cute new water bottle that you bought.

You probably know this, but our bodies are made up of about 60% of water and the water is doing a lot of behind the scenes work for us.

This part you might not know, it helps regulate our temperature, move nutrients around, flush out waste, cushion our joints and even support our brain function.

Now that's a lot for just one thing, H2O, isn't it?

In fact, even just one small dip, like 1 to 2% drop in hydration, can actually leave us feeling foggy, tired, headachy, or just off. If you've ever felt like your brain's just not quite online, which I know, as busy people, as busy mums, as busy women, this happens all the time. Hydration could actually be a big part of this picture.

The Stats and What They Mean 

So, I actually want to zoom out for a second and talk about some research.

According to the 2011-2012 Australian Bureau of Statistics survey, nearly 90% of people reported drinking plain water. I mean, this sounds great, doesn't it? But here's the kicker, the medium intake was only around 1 litre per day, which is actually well below what's recommended.

So, the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care does suggest that for adult men to drink around 3.4 litres per day, which is around 115 ounces and for adult women to drink around 2.7 2.8 litres per day, which is around 91 to 95 ounces.

Now I want to reiterate that this water actually comes from food and drinks, but food only gives us around 20 to 30% of what we actually need. So most of our hydration needs to actually come from our drink.

If you're someone that moves around a lot, chasing up the kids, walking more, lifting little people around, fitness guidelines suggest adding an extra glass of water for every hour of strenuous exercise.

I get it, you're probably thinking, but I drink water all day. Why do I still feel drained? You're not alone. You might simply need more than you think, especially on those busier, most active days.

Here's something else that might surprise you, your brain is made up of about 73% water. So even mild dehydration can mess with your focus, memory, mood and energy. There's no wonder why things feel harder when we're not properly hydrated.

So, this is why hydration is our very first pillar, because when that's parts out of rhythm, everything else, your energy, your movement, even your food choices, can feel like an uphill battle.

Turning Knowledge into a Habit 

I know I spoke about this in the first episode, but I want to talk about this again. This isn't about perfection. It's about tuning in, noticing where you are, and gently, lovingly giving our bodies what they've been asking for all along.

I totally hear you, knowing the facts is one thing, but turning them into a lasting habit, that's a whole different story. Life gets busy, it's layered and it's full of people that need you. Which means your own needs can sometimes slip quietly at the bottom of the list.

So, if hydration still feels like something you should be doing and not something which that comes more naturally for you, I want to give you a few tips and a few tricks that can make this feel simple, doable, and not just something which is a chore and something that you just should be doing.

Simple Ways to Support Hydration 

Here's a few ways we can gently ease into it.

So, start your day with a glass of water before your coffee. I reiterate, before you reach for your coffee, please have a glass of water. It helps to wake up your system and gently sets the tone.

Keep water visible and easy to reach and even put the water into something that you love. Holding a pretty glass on your desk, even just something like a mug. Or this might also help, chilled jug in the fridge as well, so whatever feels inviting for you.

If you're someone like me, even now I don't like the taste of plain water. I never have. So what I normally do is, and I switch this up, is I'll use a squeeze of lemon, a few slices of cucumber, maybe some mint, berries and I'll even switch this up between them as well.

Herbal teas also count. In fact, right now, while I'm recording this podcast, I've got a cup of chamomile tea sitting on the desk with honey. Yeah, herbal teas are amazing and a great addition to use.

Another good thing you can do is habit stacking. So what this is linking your habits to something that you already do. For example, having a drink after every toilet break, or having a drink before you're about to have a meal, or when you brush your teeth, these moments start to actually layer in and it's adding it into something you're already doing.

If it helps, generally track your intake. So, nothing obsessive, we're not about obsessive behaviour here. Just a note in your phone or even a soft check mark.

Just enough to build awareness without pressure in terms of when you're drinking your water. So it's not about rules or restriction, it's about tuning into your body with curiosity and care.

Your Gentle Reflection for the Week 

So, here's something to carry with you into the week, just a general invitation to reflect.

How much water am I actually drinking most days? How does my body feel when I've had enough? What's one small shift I can make this week to support my hydration?

No guilt, no shame, just noticing, adjusting and coming back to yourself, just with one small check in. It can be every day or it can be every second day, because this is the conversation that you get to have with yourself and with your body to keep going.

An Invitation to Group Coaching

If you're craving space where you can explore these shifts more deeply alongside other women who just get it, I'd love to welcome you into my group coaching community.

Each intake is only between 8 to 10 women because we believe in creating an intimate space where we take these pillars and bring them to life in real, grounded ways through shared stories, honest check ins and gentle accountability.

I'd like to think about it as it's where science meets soul and where change gets to feel sustainable, not overwhelming.

Chances are what you're feeling and where you're at, someone else might be feeling at the same time and we all have different perspectives and different ideas, so it's a space that we can come together and bring those into a shared community space.

So, if you've been nodding along and thinking, yes, I want more of this, more support, more connection, more clarity, please join my email list and you'll be the first to know when I open doors again. You'll find a link in the description below.

Recap and a Small Anchor for This Week 

Before we wrap up, let's take a moment to pause and breathe. If you've been nodding along or just quietly reflecting as you've been listening, I want you to know that's more than enough. You're showing up, you're paying attention and that's what matters.

Here's a recap as to what we explored today. We looked at how hydration isn't just a wellness trend, it's a quiet, powerful way to nourish your energy, your clarity and your emotional steadiness.

Throughout the day, I shared my own shift from coffee on empty to water as fuel and how that one small step became a bit of a ripple into other areas of my life.

We also touched on how science is behind this and how even mild dehydration can impact your mood, your ability to focus and your energy levels. Your brain and body are made up of mostly water, so this is one of the main reasons why this happens. When you nourish them with what they need, they respond in kind with more clarity, steadiness and flow.

We walked through some real-life ways you can bring hydration into your rhythm without pressure, without perfection. Just simple, doable steps that support you in the season you're in.

So if you're looking for a tiny anchor this week, here's your gentle invitation. Pick one small way to support your hydration. Just one. Keep it doable. Let it feel like care, not a chore.

At the end of the day, this is really about tuning in, meeting your body where it's at and showing up with small, steady kindness.

What’s Coming Next Week

If this conversation has stirred something in you, maybe a little curiosity or longing to go a little bit deeper with these habits and make them stick, I'd love to welcome you into my group coaching space.

Next week we are going to be heading into the nutrition pillar. Don't worry, it's not about cutting carbs or following food rules. We're going to be talking about nourishment in its truest sense, busting a few myths, reconnecting with what feels good for your body and letting food be something that supports you and something to be celebrated, not something to wrestle with.

Until then, keep coming back to your body. Drink your water and rest when you can and remember, you're doing so much better than you think and I'm so glad you're here, my beautiful, busy Bella.

Outro

Thanks for being here. Lovely. If today's episode gave you a light bulb moment, helped you feel seen or sparked a small step, I'd love to hear about it.

Tag me over on Instagram @gawellness and share you win so I can cheer you on and if there's a woman in your world that needs this kind of support, send this to her because wellness feels better when we do it together.

Make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss an episode. Check the description for all the resources mentioned today plus the link to join my email list, which is where I share exclusive content early access to offer some freebies and little love notes that are only sent to my community.

If you love this episode, it would mean the world to me if you left a review.

Until next time, take a deep breath and take care of you.

With love,
Georgia Ann

© 2025 GA Wellness with Georgia Ann™.

All content is for educational purposes only and is not medical or psychological advice.