It’s the end of the day:
“What are you up to tonight?”
“Well, first I’ve got my spin class, then yoga, then I’m off for cocktails with the girls, then when I get home I’ll be spring cleaning the house and baking cupcakes for the kids’ bake sale! What about you?”
“Erm…”
Sound familiar? Everyone else in the office seems to be whizzing around all day with endless energy like excitable Labradors, while you’re sat at your desk like:
By the time the end of the day comes, you’re wondering whether or not it would be socially acceptable to crawl back to your car on all fours and how on earth you’re going to make it up the stairs to your glorious bed once you get home.
Hey, don’t beat yourself up, you work hard all week, it’s entirely natural to feel a little tuckered out. However, you may be surprised to learn that little changes implemented throughout your work day can have a massive effect on your energy levels. In fact, there are some really nifty energy boosting tricks you can use to make sure that you stay bright, alert and raring to go all day, even when you leave the office!
So, if you want to bound out of the office like your Labrador colleagues, ready to take on gym classes, nights out, your huge to-do list or whatever else is going on in your personal life, then take a look at these top energy boosters that will help you to stay motivated, focused and feeling wide awake all day:
Don’t skip breakfast
It’s early, your alarm is blaring and you’re faced with a choice: get up and have enough time for breakfast or hit the snooze button and have a bit more sleep. Don’t even think about it! How many times have we all heard the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”? We hear it time and time again for one reason only: it’s true.
You’ve gone a fair few hours since tea time without eating, your body needs to fuel itself back up. Eating a healthy, balanced breakfast can give your metabolism the boost it needs to get the morning off to a good start. Wisely opting for slow release carbohydrates as part of your breakfast will keep your body and energy levels ticking over all morning long.
Snack Right
Food plays such a huge part when it comes to keeping your energy up – if you’re smart with your snacking, and even your lunch, while at work, you can battle the mid-afternoon slump! Stodgy, carb-heavy or sugary foods/drinks make your insulin levels shoot through the roof; that’s why you may have a burst of energy after that chocolate bar, but an hour later you feel ready to drop because your levels then crash spectacularly.
Choose snacks such as nuts and fruit to maintain your momentum throughout the day, and make sure you keep sipping on water too, to keep yourself hydrated!
Move around
Most office jobs require a heck of a lot of sitting down. Other than popping to the loo or making the epic quest to the printer, we stay sedentary for a large portion of the day. How can we blame our bodies for thinking that it’s time to relax and switch off?!
Don’t give your body and brain the chance to slip into relaxation mode – get up and walk around the office regularly, take a brisk walk on your break or even do some ‘deskercise’: there are an array of stretches and gentle exercises you can do at your desk! (Just give your colleagues a heads up so they don’t think you’ve gone mad!)
Chit chat
Really! Anything that stimulates your mind can keep you feeling alert and focused, so make sure you spare a few minutes to catch up with your co-workers, especially if you feel yourself starting to lag. Having a quick conversation can break up the day, give your mind a mini rest from work and put a spring back in your step.
All the better if they make you laugh: laughter is, after all, the best medicine. If it takes a call or text to your best mate on your break, so be it! Having a laugh or positive interaction with someone can really lift your mood and help you stay feeling motivated.
Don’t underestimate the power of music
If your workplace allows it, stick on the radio or pop in your headphones and blast some tunes!
Having some music on can really help you stay focused, avoid other distractions and keep you feeling positive.
Plus, if you make sure that the songs you’re listening to are happy and upbeat, you’ll be in a good mood all day, which means that you’re more likely to want to get up and dance instead of snooze at your desk!
Everybody’s different, so this might not be your cup of tea, however give it a go and see if it works for you. Remember to make sure you aren’t distracting your colleagues with music that’s too loud (or your terrible dance moves).
Switch up your sleep routine
Your day time slumps could simply be down to the fact that you’re simply not getting enough deep sleep. We all know that we should be getting a good 8 hours’ worth of sleep every night, but who isn’t guilty of staying up a little too late Snapchat stalking and Netflix binging now and then?
The best way to make sure that you’re getting enough golden slumber is by sticking to a set sleep routine. Wind down, avoid eating, drinking caffeine/alcohol or exercising too close to bedtime and try to give your brain time away from the TV, computers and smartphones just before you plan on going to bed.
See, nice and easy, right? Give these energy boosters a try and you’re sure to see a change in your energy and motivation throughout the workday.
