What to Do to Avoid Sleeping at Work
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A long exhausting day at work and you may find yourself all droopy and drowsy. Well, that is not uncommon and sometimes, we may feel sleepy at our workplace. You may crave for a power nap or wish you could catch up on a quick siesta; all this may seem like wishful thinking. You may think of gobbling down a few more cups of coffee or tea but that may take a toll on your sleep. This means you will have to look for other ways to keep you going throughout the day. Don't feel doomed; we have some effective tips that may help you stay awake at the workplace. Read this post and know about these tips in detail!
How to Stay Awake at Work
If you've had a rough night and couldn't catch up on some good sleep and find yourself sleepy during your office hours, you may want to know how to avoid feeling sleepy while working in the office or how to avoid sleepiness at work. Well, look no further as here are some great tips that might actually work for staying active and awake!
1. Pop a Snack
Well, before you shut your eyes, open your mouth; or in simple words, eat something healthy. Eating a healthy snack such as an apple, a vegetable sandwich, peanut butter with a whole wheat cracker, fruit yoghurt, etc., may help you regain your lost energy. Most of the time, our low blood sugar is responsible for making us all lazy and sleepy. Give your blood sugar a boost by popping in some healthy snacks and get going.
2. Hydrate Yourself
If not a snack, boost up your energy levels by drinking a glass of cold water. Believe us; it really works in keeping you up and going. According to a few studies, it has been established that sometimes mild dehydration in the body may make you a sleepyhead. This is because lack of fluids and water in your body may drain you of your energy, and thus, make you all lazy, tired, and ready to doze off. Drinking water may help in keeping you energised.
3. Check Your Posture
Are you slouching in your office chair or not sitting in an upright position? Well, settling yourself in such positions may signal your body that it is ready to snooze. Also, the right posture really helps you in staying focused and awake. Sit straight and in an upright position and bid bye to all the sleepiness that comes knocking at your door.
4. Move Before You Snooze
The moment you feel you are going to bang your head on your work desk, it is a hint that you need to get up before that actually happens. Get your body moving, go to the restroom, walk to your colleague's desk for a little chit-chat session or just grab a glass of water and move to take in some fresh air; the idea is to move from your desk. When you fall back, you may feel fresh and ready to take on the rest of the day.
5. Get Your Blood Circulation Going
As you keep sitting in one position all through the day, you may feel the blood circulation around your neck, shoulders, and even head getting affected. Hampered blood circulation may cause drowsiness and even make you want to catch up on some sleep. However, getting your blood circulation started may help in keeping you awake. Gently rub the back of your neck and shoulders, and massage your head and scalp with your fingertips and experience a jolt of energy flowing through the body.
6. Have a Conversation
Walk up to a colleague or take an agenda to your boss and discuss the same. It may sound silly, but it may actually work. When you concentrate on something important, your mind may forget about less important things and in this case, it may forget about sleeping. Also, we are social beings and our moods may get affected or stimulated by the people around us.
7. Get More Light
As soon as you feel sleepy, switch on more lights in the room. If possible, let the natural daylight into your room (you can also go stand near the window for a couple of minutes if you work in a cubicle). This is our mind's mechanism, which means the moment it is exposed to dim or low lights, it may signal the brain to switch off and sleep. According to some studies, exposure to bright light helps in increasing wakefulness and alertness. So, if you are feeling drowsy, try making the room brighter by switching on more lights.
8. Splash Some Water
When your eyes are almost on the verge of shutting, rush to the washroom and splash some cold water on your face. Do it a few times; cold water is great for jolting you awake and getting you back from your sleepy mode to active mode. Also, our body's psychological response to water is also helpful in getting you back on your toes from a restful state.
9. Pick Up Something That You Like
Sometimes when the monotony sets in or you do not like what you may be doing at present, it may make you uninterested and sometimes, may make you feel sleepy too. However, we seldom feel lazy doing the things that we enjoy doing. Therefore, if you feel so bored that sleep strikes you, it will be a good idea to pick up something that helps you stay motivated and happy. Once you feel energized, you may get back to doing what you were doing in the first place.
10. Chew Some Gum
Chewing some minty fresh gums may do the trick in keeping you awake. This is because when you chew these mouth fresheners, you work on your facial muscles and the blood gets pumped up, and in short, it helps in keeping those yawning sessions at bay. So, the next time you feel droopy, pop in the gum and get working.
We hope that some of the above-mentioned tips may come handy and may help you in staying awake at work. Happy working!
Also Read:
Ways to Become Better at Your Job
Surviving the Workday When You're Sleepy!
Tips to Boost Your Self Confidence at Work
What to Do to Avoid Sleeping at Work
Source: https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/feeling-sleepy-at-work-try-these-10-tips-to-help-you-stay-awake/