5 Hacks to Boost Your Energy without Sugar or Caffeine
Every professional woman has experienced this: stayed up too late, ate a heavy lunch, or just exited a marathon meeting. Eyes feel heavy. Brain feels foggy. Blank stares at a computer screen not really seeing what’s on it.
Panic sets in because there’s still so much to do today! A pick-me-up, a boost, or a miracle is needed so one heads to the Keurig machine in the kitchen or down the street to a favorite café for a sweet treat. An immediate revitalization is felt, but an hour or two later, the caffeine or sugar rush crashes—a feeling worse than before.
Here are four hacks to boost your energy and productivity during the work day without ingesting sugar or caffeine.
Focus on Your Most Important Tasks
Before checking email in the morning, stop for a moment to plan out the day. What two to three things need to be accomplished today in order for the day to be a success? Odds are, these tasks require deep thinking and focus. So once urgent emails have been checked and answered, take the time to accomplish those two to three most important tasks in a focused manner.
Turning off your email notifications and setting your phone to Do Not Disturb (with important numbers set to ring through) will allow one to single-task for 1-2 hours, without checking email, Facebook, or switching tasks. After, take a break, check messages, and repeat until the most crucial tasks are complete.
Take Movement Breaks
Feeling sluggish, frustrated, or stuck? Get up and move around. Walk around the block or building, jog up and down a few flights of stairs, or take your next phone call standing up. At the very least, sit up straight and take 3-5 deep breaths. Try this 7 minute video. It will correct posture and open up your chest so breathing is deeper resulting in more oxygen to the brain!
Set a Quitting Time
Work expands to fill the time allotted, so set a hard quitting time. It can vary depending on the day or your workload, but before going into the office, commit to a specific time to leave. If this is difficult, make plans after work to meet people at a specific time – happy hour with a colleague, dinner with your significant other, or an exercise class with a friend.
Replace Sugar and Caffeine with Healthier Alternatives
Instead of reaching for an afternoon coffee, drink an Odwalla or Naked fruit smoothie with no added sugar. These healthy alternatives provide a natural energy boost without the sugar crash of processed carbs. Another alternative is to eat protein. Keep some nuts at your desk or hard boil a few eggs on Sunday and leave them in the office fridge for a quick brain-boosting snack. Chew a piece of gum during the next office birthday party instead of reaching for a cupcake.
Going to sleep earlier will help the consistently tired professional woman. Forty percent of Americans get six hours of sleep or less per night, according to a recent Gallup poll. The recommendation is 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep causes brain fog and difficulty concentrating in addition to raising the risk of serious health issues including diabetes and heart disease.
Calm Down
Feeling overwhelmed or stressed is a huge energy drain and actually dampens productivity. If faced with a mammoth project or a new set of tasks, take five minutes to walk away from your desk.
Try a basic, equal breathing technique: breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four and then exhale for a count of four. Repeat several times until calm.
Now, consider what truly needs to be done before the end of the day? What can wait until tomorrow? Prioritize your list mentally, then focus and do the first thing first.
Next time you’re feeling sluggish, try a few of these tips instead of a latte. Energy will be boosted and productivity will last longer than with a caffeine buzz.