How to Stay Energized at Work; 5 Tips and Tricks to Get You Through a Long Day
Most people would like to stay energized at work. Energy is what keeps us going, and makes the last few hours at the end of the shift easier to bear. However, having energy the whole day long can be difficult if you’re doing repetitive tasks, desk work, or work the night shift. But there are tricks that anyone can use to keep their energy high and perform to the best of their abilities. Here are a few of them.
Start the Day on a Good Stretch
One of the first things you should do first thing in the morning is stretch. And we mean first thing, as in straight from your bed. Lay on your back and extend your arms and feet to all four corners. Feel like your energy is expanding through your limbs. Just doing that will give you a nice jolt of energy and get you ready to take on the day.
Start with a Good Breakfast, or Skip it
There are two approaches and philosophies here, and they’re both valid. Some people perform better on a full stomach and others empty. But for most, a good breakfast consisting of protein and slow-digesting carbs is the way to go.
However, you should skip the heavy things like pancakes, eggs, and sausage. The fat and the protein in them will require additional energy from your body. Something like whole-grain toast with a nut butter spread and a banana would be a much better option to stay energized throughout the day. Fortified multi-grain breakfast cereals are also a good option if you’re in a hurry.
Use Caffeine
Caffeine is not only great for staying awake, but it has been shown to increase mental alertness and cognitive abilities. It also makes any desk task more interesting. Make sure that you take your first cup early and pace yourself during the day. You never want to go too high to avoid a crash.
You have to make it pleasant and convenient, however. Nespresso pod systems are a great option and allow you to get bistro level coffee at any time in minutes. The number of blends and flavors is almost endless and you can find pods made to fit most Nespresso machines online from a variety of vendors, which makes them even more convenient.
Snack Well
How you feed yourself during the day will also have a huge difference in how you feel. If we were to give you one tip, it would be to eliminate any white carbs from your diet during the day. These will send your energy levels on a roller coaster and leave you deflated by the middle of the afternoon. Complex carbs like foods made with whole grain cereals and fruits/vegetables like sweet potatoes and bananas are the way to go. These are digested slowly by the body and release energy gradually without a crash. The same goes for fruit juice. These are absorbed too fast which results in a spike instead of a steady supply of energy. Eat whole fruits instead and avoid those too high in glucose like pineapples or oranges if possible to stay energized.
Use a Screen Shader
There’s a certain limit to the amount of screen light, especially blue screen light, that you can handle. This is why you need to take regular screen breaks. 15 minutes breaks for every 45 minutes of work is a good ratio.
Another thing you can do is use a screen shader app. These will block some of the blue light and cover your screen in a nice soothing shade. F.lux is a great option you can try and there are several screen shading extensions for Firefox and Google Chrome.
To stay energized is much simpler once you start the day the right way. It’s then only a matter of making adjustments to keep these energy levels high.
