Regardless of your reason for staying up late last night and whether you like it or not, you would have to stay alert today at work. Yes, you can get all the sleep that you want after your shift but the question is, how do you stay energetic for the next 8-9 hours? Well, let us show you how.
I. How to Keep Those Eyes Open
1.) Have a full stomach. However, don’t eat too much. The same goes for the beverages that you are consuming while you’re on duty. Just have snacks ready for the whole day and don’t be such a glutton on your lunch break.
2.) Inhaling coffee, peppermint, eucalyptus blue gum or rosemary can certainly lessen the level of stress that you’re feeling due to lack of sleep.
3.) If you are in an air conditioned room, remove your jacket or sweater. This will trigger your system to stay warm keeping you awake throughout the day.
4.) Chew any food but ice can do you wonders. It can keep your brain alert by giving it the impression that you are about to eat. In result, insulin would be released in your body helping you to keep those eyes open.
5.) Get as much light exposure as you can. Artificial and natural light sources will do just as long as you don’t work in a gloomy place.
6.) Listen to upbeat songs. Stay away from your favorite genre. For example, if you’re into mellow tunes, then create a play list full of rock melody. This would certainly keep you awake for hours.
II. Minor Exercises
1.) Walk for a few minutes. You can do this during your break time and if you’re supervisor starts to question what you are doing, then let him or her know that walking serves as your stress reliever.
2.) If you are not allowed to do step 1, then you can still stay alert while sitting down. Just find a not so comfortable chair that you can use to prevent you from dozing off at work. Also, refrain from resting your head on your workstation’s wall.
3.) Massage your earlobes, the area below your knees, your hands’ or neck’s back and your temples while you’re on duty. This will help you maintain your energy level and enhance the blood and oxygen circulation around your body. You can bring a mini massager to your office or you can use your fingertips instead.
4.) Turn your head once in while. Twist your upper torso and stretch your arms and legs too. These steps can enhance your blood circulation as well so perform them if you want to stay productive all throughout the day.
III. Other Alternatives
1.) Have an alert mind. This can be a very difficult thing to do especially when you’re sleep deprived. However, you can stay awake for the whole day just as long as you work on it. When you feel like sleeping already, remember something that will truly distract you. This can be an unanswered trivia question, a scene from your favorite movie or a joke that would send you secretly laughing on your seat. You can even think about your worst enemy for you to keep those eyes widely open.
2.) Get the right amount of sleep as much as possible. Have a definite sleeping pattern as well. You should give your body the rest that it needs from a long day at work. Have 7 to 9 hours of blissful sleep on a regular basis.
Pay attention to your nutrition too. You shouldn’t be in a diet that would make you look too skinny.
3.) Acquire a power nap. Sleep for a maximum of twenty minutes after you’re done with your first batch of office or school work. This would certainly help you recall more information and analyze them better for you to meet all of your deadlines.
Sometimes, you may have just imagined your need for sleep. Come to think of it, you can stay awake for hours of leisure in a shopping mall but then you feel tired facing all of your paper works. At the end of the day, it simply all comes down to controlling one’s thoughts and actions.