Do you feel achy muscles and lethargy controlling your mind and energy at work? We all have gone through that one exhausted day at work when nothing could keep the sleep away. That tired feeling can transform a productive day into a slow moving day, instantly. Is it only the pressure of work or something else?
Feeling out of energy at work is the core of low productivity. There can be many reasons for low energy level at work. Some of the common reasons and their solutions are mentioned below:
#1 Dehydration
Your body requires eight-ounce glasses of water every 24 hours. Anything less than 1.9 litres or eight glasses of water can cause dehydration. Dehydration can lead to multiple disturbing symptoms like dizziness, headaches, lethargy and fuzziness.
While you are busy working you may not be able to calculate how much water you are consuming. However, keeping a bottle of water on your desk can resolve the problem. Drink water on an interval of 20-25 minutes to stay hydrated and energetic. Water balance in your body also ensures proper focus and accuracy in work. If it is not possible to keep a bottle of water around you, whenever you feel down on energy reach out the office water vending machine for a glass of water.
#2 Wrong posture of sitting
You must have noticed, as the day passes people start to sink into their computers unknowingly. This not only makes a person look lethargic but develops many long term physical issue like sore muscles around your neck, joint problems, bad heart and breathing issues, shoulder pains and spondylitis. A correct sitting posture not only keeps you safe from physical problems but generates energy in the body and mind. Sitting up straight enhances the blood flow to the brain and allows you to concentrate on your work.
Whenever you find yourself slouching in your chair, get up and sit straight. A little correction in your sitting posture can be beneficial for both work and health in the long run. If you are feeling too sleepy, stand up and take a short walk around your cabin. This will help you regain the energy level and refresh your mind, body and soul.
#3 Hormone Cortisol
Your body reacts the same way under work pressure, as it would in a fight. Serious work stress increases hormone cortisol, which may result in immediate energy increase, but decreases your body’s capacity to handle it. Which means the time when you need to be on your toes, your cortisol crashes and you start feeling downhearted and lethargic.
Most of us would consider a cup of coffee can relieve you from stress. However, in such cases, excess caffeine may lead to anxiety and jitter. Green tea has the perfect level of caffeine your body requires to boost hormone production. Although green tea needs much more time to react, compared to coffee, it is much more beneficial for health.
#4 Skipping morning meal
Are you sure you had the right amount of nutrients in your breakfast? Breakfast is an essential meal of the day. The quality of your breakfast decides your body behavior throughout the day. Your body and brain require glucose to energize. If you skip your breakfast, your natural level of glucose will crash with the work pressure.
To stay energized, your meal should include minimum 10 grammes of protein, for example, two boiled eggs. Protein generates a peptide known as CCK, which helps to balance your blood sugar levels and energy. Including a portion of protein in your breakfast can keep you energetic whole day long. If you still feel lethargic, you should have a glass of green juice or some energy drinks to stay focused.
#5 Feeling exhausted or Brain drain
Most of the time it is not the body, but the mind that feels tired and exhausted. The increase in brain drain makes you feel mentally tired. Brain drain sends a signal of tiredness to the anterior cingulate cortex, the portion of the brain which reacts to motivation, perception and reaction. Which eventually results in less physical activity.
Your body can remain active if your mind is relaxed. Listening to music can increase your endurance level and keep you energetic for a long time. Studies suggest individuals who listen to music while working can work faster and more efficiently.
#6 Rise of sleep hormones
Have you ever thought why your energy level goes down after lunch? The reason is; as soon as you enter the afternoon slump between 1 pm to 3 pm, your cortisol level falls. This is the time when your sleep hormone rises. Sleep hormones are more active when you sit under dull lights. To stay active and keep your sleep hormone under control sit under bright lights that emit blue rays.
If you install a blue light in a lamp and keep it on your desk, you will feel less sleepy and more energetic. This will balance your sleep hormones at work and help enhance your sleep at night.
#7 Long to-do list
An overwhelming sense of stress can be the highest contributor to the feeling of exhaustion at work. A tedious list of tasks to be completed can make your mind feel tired. To feel relaxed, light and more energized, remove one or two tasks from your to-do list.
If possible, try delegating smaller tasks to your co-workers. If your mind knows you are less burdened, it will immediately infuse energy to fulfil rest of the tasks. If you have any problems, discuss it with your manager. Knowing that you have somebody to share your burden can immediately enhance your mood and boost your energy.
To stay away from mental exhaustion and physical tiredness, you must try the strategies mentioned above. Good habits not only help in immediate energy gain but keep you healthy in the long run. Whenever you feel exhausted at work, take a short break, listen to music and talk to your coworkers. You will instantly feel refreshed.
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