Steps to Stay Awake!!!

I’m now in the Biological Psychology lecture and the truth is, I’m really not paying much attention to what is being taught. In fact, I’m really half awake! It’s tough staying awake during the lecture given that the materials are rather dense – talking about parts of the brain and experiments conducted a long time ago. Moreover, I was up till 2am last night that concentrating on the properties of Rapid Eye Movement Sleep, just simply sends me quicker to Lala land..

I know to most people, staying awake is one of the more difficult things to do, especially while at school or even work! And that sometimes, we need to resort to desperate measures such as drinking coffee at every hour to recharge ourselves! But before we resort to that and drowning our bodies with caffeine, take a look at these steps and implement them to see if they can help you to make it easier to stay awake!

1. Multi-task

>>Try to do more than one thing at a time! By only doing one thing for a long period of time, it only makes you fall asleep much easier. Multitasking keeps you moving and active and requires you to practise time management. And after multitasking for a while, it can be good to focus on one task at a time because by then you would have trained yourself to be more efficient. But do remember not to over-multitask where you take on too many projects and assignments than you can really cope. Because you will get overwhelmed, tired, panicy and might not want to do anything.  

2. Take Regular Breaks

>> Taking short regular breaks of half an hour allows you to take a breather and take the monotony out of the things you need to do. A short break to just get up and walk around, get a drink or go to the bathroom to freshen yourself, can do you good. However, do note that taking too many breaks might get you in trouble with the boss! 😛

3. Move your head, arms, legs or body.

>> Whenever you feel lethargic, well, give yourself a good stretch. Tilt your head to the sides, swing your arms and shake your legs. Bend your back and twist your hips the the sides! These simple exercises give your muscles a good stretch especially when they have been set in the same position for a long time!

4. Drink coffee or caffeine-containing soda products (i.e. Coca Cola) 

>> Well, this step is only a quick step for you to stay awake and to keep caffeine in your system. What it does is actually to cause you to recharge however, do note that this is only temporary! It’s still good to give yourself a boost when you really need it but don’t make it a bad habit because it can cause an addiction! A better alternative to coffee or caffeine-containing drinks is an apple! Well, just for your info, coffee is truly a mixed blessing and can be very unhealthy. The main reason why coffee or actually caffeine, makes us alert is because it dialates the blood vessels.  Furthermore, consuming too much caffeine to stay awake at work may disrupt your sleep pattern.

5. Set specific goals for the day

>> You need to take note of the things that you want to and need to achieve in the day and create a list of short term goals before you even start the day. Let these goals be time-specific – for example if you commit to doing them under an hour, make sure that you do them! These forms of measurable accomplishment is exciting. And you’ll feel more motivated at the start of the day because you are focused on the things you need to do!

6. Have enough sleep!

>> I know not many people have the luxury of sleeping between six and eight hours of sleep each night. In fact, my lecturer just mentioned that many people are not getting the amount of sleep that they truly deserve. So, make sure you get enough sleep. How? Set specific times where you head to bed and commit to them. Don’t let a late night show be an excuse for you to stay up till late and having to suffer the next morning.

7. Eat healthily.

>> Always observe meal times and have regular meals. That means, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Don’t skip meals or binge in between because it is unhealthy. In fact, don’t eat too heavy a meal. Especially if you are expecting to accomplish something after meal time, you wouldn’t want to lapse into a ‘Food Coma’ where you suddenly lose all motivation and energy to finish up what you have set out to do.  

These are the steps which have been proven to make a change in your attitude towards work and also are able to help you stay awake! So, do implement these into your daily routine to see a changed YOU!

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