Staying Energized at Work
If you're like most people, some days you get tired at work -- perhaps right after lunch or at 3 in the afternoon. You seem to start working in slow motion and find it hard to concentrate.
These tips will help you re-energize when you run out of steam.
Add variety
If you have several tasks to do, switch back and forth. If you're doing something tedious, switch to something more physical or creative. Reward yourself for getting the boring tasks done by doing a project you enjoy.
Wake up your body
Take a five-minute break every hour. Stand up, stretch, walk around, do knee bends, jog in place or go up and down a flight of stairs to get your blood flowing. If possible, go outside for a breath of fresh air and a walk around the block.
Play games
Play beat the clock by counting how many calls you make or how many checks you post in a certain time limit -- a half hour or an hour.
Make your own bingo card using words related to your job duties instead of numbers. Then, as you work, cross out the words for the tasks you accomplish. When you get five across, down or diagonally, pull something out of the treasure chest of rewards you gathered ahead of time.
Mini-massage
Gently massage your scalp, shoulders, arms, hands and legs.
Plug into others
Energized people give you energy, so initiate a brief conversation with an upbeat, enthusiastic individual. It's like plugging into an electrical socket, and your energy level will climb.
Spend a few minutes walking around your office, giving everyone a cheery hello. Your coworkers will respond with positive energy.
Poster energy
Make a small poster with a tired face on it. Below the face, write "Please liven me up!" and hang it on your office door or cubicle. It serves as an invitation to your colleagues to help make you feel energized.
Listen to music
Upbeat music can energize you. Collect tapes or CDs of lively music and listen to them on a headset when working on tasks that don't require a lot of concentration.
Fire your imagination
Use your imagination to re-create a memory of a high-energy moment. Close your eyes for a minute and visualize a time you skied down a mountain, danced all night or swam in the ocean.
Use humor
Make your own humor notebook full of jokes and cartoons. Keep your notebook handy and read it to spark your energy.
Eat healthful food
Bring healthful snacks to work, instead of candy or high-sugar snacks, which will peak your energy but quickly leave you on empty again. At your low-energy times, eat high-energy snacks such as a hard-boiled egg, celery with cream cheese or peanut butter on low-fat crackers.
Don't eat a heavy lunch, which will make you sleepy. For example, instead of a double cheeseburger and fries, eat a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato on whole-wheat bread.