9 tips to help you stay alert at work
Lack of enough sleep can affect your productivity during your working hours. You can, however, use some of these tips to stay alert as you work.
Move around or take a walk
Walking helps in pumping oxygen through your brain, veins and muscles. A 10-minute walk will increase your energy and increase your level of alertness. Walking is also good for your back, especially if you spend most of your day sitting. Moreover, a change of scenery can initiate creativity and inspire new ideas.
Take a power nap
Power naps can be anywhere between 5 and 25 minutes and are called so because of their ability to help you recover and feel refreshed. If you are at work you can take the rest by closing your eyes quietly for 10 minutes. Ensure to use an alarm so that you don’t nap over into your work time. Also, avoid the temptation of taking more than one power nap.
Take deep breaths
Deep breathing raises blood oxygen levels in the body which improves circulation. It also helps boost your energy and performance.
You should inhale allowing your abdomen to expand instead of the chest by sitting upright. Inhale deeply through your nose and breathe out while your lips are pursed for at least 10 times.
Give your eyes a break to avoid fatigue
You can experience fatigue and eyestrain from endlessly looking at your screen. To avoid this, look away from the screen for a few minutes periodically to relax your eyes.
Exercise
Regularly exercising increases your energy and also improves your quality of sleep. Try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day in the morning or a few hours before you sleep.
Switch tasks to stimulate your mind
Research shows that monotonous work is as harmful as lack of sleep when it comes to alertness. You can switch up tasks from time to time and do the most stimulating ones when you feel sleep creeping in.
Drink water
Dehydration can cause fatigue. You can avoid this by drinking plenty of water and eating fruits and vegetables that are high in water.
Get some sunlight
Sunlight influences our sleep-wake cycle. Spend at least 30 minutes a day outside in natural sunlight or just step out and breathe fresh air to awaken your senses. Exposure to bright light can reduce sleepiness and increase alertness and this can also be possible when you brightly light your workspace.
Start a conversation with your colleague
If you feel sleepy while at work, you can engage in a conversation with your colleague. Ensure you ask for their consent so that you may not be disrupting them from their duties.
Conclusion
Sleep is important for optimal body functioning and also for productivity. However, while the above tips can help you stay alert at work, they are only a short term solution. You need to get enough sleep every day to reduce your chances of suffering from a burnout.
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