If asked about the hardest part of the day at work, many people may respond that staying awake and alert throughout the day is the most difficult. Our society lives on a work-driven schedule fueled by too much caffeine and not enough sleep. As a result, many find themselves yawning their way through the workday, experiencing difficulties with alertness and focus. However, with just a few simple tips, you can turn your mind from groggy to focused.
1- Maintain a Regular Sleep-Wake Cycle
There’s a good reason that adults are recommended to get between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Although it may seem like an impossible feat, getting the proper amount of sleep per night will make a huge difference in your levels of alertness and focus.
One of the best ways to get this amount of sleep every night is to maintain a regular sleep-wake cycle. This means going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time the next morning. This helps to establish the body’s natural sleep cycle, which will leave you waking up more refreshed.
2- Eat a Healthy Diet
Eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to stay alert and focused throughout the day. There are many healthy foods that are considered “superfoods” that can help your brain focus throughout the day. Cut back on fats and sugars while adding in more natural foods.
3- Consider Supplements
For some people, however, eating healthy may not be enough to boost their alertness and focus. Others may be seeking a higher level of alertness and focus. Those who wish to should consider taking health supplements to boost their brain functioning. Supplements containing things like folic acid and vitamin B are known to help boost alertness and focus.
4- Incorporate Physical Exercise
Maintaining a bit of physical activity each day can help to establish better sleep patterns and stay more awake during the day. Choosing a consistent way to exercise is the best way to make sure you get appropriate physical activity each day. You can also commit to regularly leaving your desk and getting up and moving to keep you more awake and alert during work hours.
5- Cut Back on the Sugars
As mentioned earlier, a healthy diet can be one of the best ways to improve alertness and focus at work. A key element to this is cutting out sugars. Sugar may feel good for a moment, but after the sugar wears off, your brain is left worn out and out of focus.
6- Give Yourself Breaks
Your brain is not meant to work an 8 hour day without stopping. It’s important to give yourself breaks to let your brain catch up and rejuvenate. During your breaks, you can take a quick walk, practice mindfulness, or catch up with a work friend.
Your breaks don’t have to be long. It can simply be a minute here and there to give your hard-working mind a well-deserved rest. Setting a timer to give your brain a break on a regular interval, say every thirty minutes or so, can help to make you more alert and focused during the times that you’re working hard.
