15 Reinvigorating Ways To Feel More Awake During the Day

Defeating the morning grogginess or pushing past that mid-afternoon slump can be challenging some days leading to our productivity to drop drastically. But fear not, here are 15 reinvigorating ways to feel more awake during the day.

Workout

There is often a misconception between the relationship of exercising and tiredness. Many people believe that working out will make us more tired and less able to function during the day. While this does sound like a fair assumption, there are studies which indicate otherwise.

"Too often we believe that a quick workout will leave us worn out - especially when we are already feeling fatigued. However, we have shown that regular exercise can actually go a long way in increasing feelings of energy - particularly in sedentary individuals.” said researcher Tim Puetz. 

With this in mind, it’s time to start scheduling in 30 minutes to exercise each day. Whether you have time in the morning, or would feel better to do it after work, just make sure you do.

Power nap

Having a nap (if done correctly) can work wonders for you in terms of feeling more awake and alert. For some people, napping is an essential part of their day while others feel it just makes them more tired.

But science has come to the rescue again to help alleviate any worries you may have regarding to napping.

Ideally, naps should last anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes and between 1:00 and 4:00 PM. Any time after 4:00 PM can significantly disrupt your night time sleep which nobody wants.

The reason behind not having a nap longer than 30 minutes is that you will run the risk of developing “sleep inertia”. This may sound extremely unpleasant, but it’s just a posh word for feeling ‘groggy’.

‘Napping on the job’ is a great and quick way to improve your performance and alertness throughout the afternoon and is especially prevalent within the nursing community.

Drink more water

It may seem obvious, but not nearly enough of us are drinking the recommended amount of water each day. The NHS recommend that we drink 1.5 litres of pure water each day which can numerous health benefits.

With it being such common knowledge that water is the best thing we can ever drink, it’s surprising how little of us actually drink enough. A recent study showed that only one in ten of us drink three glasses of water each day.

While drinking water can help with weight loss, clear our skin, fight infections and stop headaches, it can also dramatically increase our energy levels. Around 60% of our body is made up of water, so when we are dehydrated our body parts lack their intensity, thus making us feel tired or lazy.

Get outside

You’ll be surprised how much good a 20 minute walk outside in the fresh air can do for you.

“Nature is fuel for the soul” says Richard Ryan, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. While being cooped up all morning indoors, we can start to feel sluggish and tired which will only transcend into our work performance.

Heading outside for a brisk walk can reinvigorate our thoughts and energy levels, allowing us to fully tackle the afternoon ahead.

Eat Breakfast

Much has been discussed on whether we should eat breakfast and for the majority of conclusions, the answer is yes, yes we should.

Not only can breakfast be important by helping us maintain a healthy body weight, but it can provide us with the nutrition and energy to support for the day’s activities.

This doesn’t give you an excuse to wolf down a donut or chocolate bar. You will only benefit from eating breakfast by choosing your food wisely. It is said that you should pick 2-3 foods from bread and grain, dairy and fruit or vegetables.

If you’re having trouble thinking of some delicious healthy breakfast ideas, here is a great list compiled by BBC Good Food.

Snack wisely

Instead of reaching for those sugar rich snacks and drinks, why not upgrade your snack to something that has more substance to it?

Although eating sugar rich snacks may feel like a great boost of energy, that energy spike will only last so long and you will end up feeling demotivated and lethargic shortly afterwards.

Opt for fruit, whole grains or nuts to give yourself that much needed boost during the afternoon grind.

Take a cold morning shower

While this may not seem such a great idea now, taking a cold shower in the morning can be a great way to start off the day.

The sharp feeling of a cold shower will get your heart pumping faster leading to more blood being pumped around the body. This will leave you feeling invigorated and more energised to help you start the day on a good note.

If you’re having a hard time coming to grips with turning the cold tap on, just do it for 30 seconds towards the end of your shower. You’ll even feel the benefit from this.

Chew gum

It is said that chewing can help improve alertness, have an effect on our motor control and improve our cognitive performances. So if you need a quick pick-me-up, grab a stick of gum.

Avoid the caffeine

No doubt every morning you will find busy people rushing around, coffee in hand, trying to get to their destination. We drink caffeinated drinks under the premise that it will help us feel more awake and get us through the day.

While this is true to some extent, increased alertness and decreased fatigue only last so long. Regular drinkers can build up a tolerance to caffeine and end up feeling sleepier than they would if they hadn’t ever touched a drop of coffee.

Instead of grabbing a quick coffee to go, pick up a bottle of water. Dehydration can make us extremely tired and water is the best thing to counteract this.

Get up regularly

For many of us that work in an office, we tend to stay seated for the majority of the day. We sleep for 8 hours, drive to work, work until 5pm, drive home then park ourselves on the sofa until bedtime.

This routine or something similar can be very detrimental to our health, so it’s best to keep in mind that we should get up regularly and move. Whether you choose to stand up periodically, take the stairs instead of the lift or hold “walking meetings”, trying to incorporate these small changes into your working day can yield significant results.

Sit comfortably

While at work, many of us don’t have the option or freedom to work while standing. Deadlines need to be met and meetings need to be attended. As a result, fatigue sets in and we feel achy and tired during long periods of sitting.

To combat this, actively think how you sit during the day. By sitting up straight, keeping both feet on the floor and having your knees parallel to the floor, you will feel less tired throughout the day and also keep yourself healthy as opposed to someone who slouches all day.

Embrace Mother Nature