Try one six-second exercise from a former Googler here. But make sure you are practicing deep belly breathing to reap the benefits. Breathing deeply shuttles more oxygen to various parts of your body, which can boost your dipping energy levels and help keep you feeling Zen.ĭeep breathing also decreases stress and anxiety, which in turn helps to boost your immune system, keeping you healthy and strong. Breathe deeplyĬalm and relaxed employees make for productive employees. Those are what regulate sleep and wakefulness, setting a normal schedule for our bodies and minds. In a 2014 study, those exposed to special formulations of blue light reported feeling less tired and had quicker reaction times and fewer lapses of attention during memory tests.īright light also activates the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls our circadian rhythms. That's why a dose of sunshine is ideal, while the less-bright lights of indoors aren't quite enough to keep you from dozing off at your desk. Studies indicate that exposure to blue light during the day - a type of visible light that comes from natural sources like the sun and artificial sources like TVs, laptops, smart phones, and LED lighting - immediately improves alertness and performance.īut to keep us perky during the day, we need more than a softly glowing screen (which may be plenty to keep us wired when we're trying to sleep at night). If you're dragging at work, a quick step into sunshine may be all you need to recharge. Increases in oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that heightens feelings of trust and emotion, and a decreases in cortisol, a brain chemical linked to stress, have been tied to our in-person interactions with animals there's a chance similar effects could be at play with our reactions to cute-animal videos, but research is needed to investigate exactly what's going on. after than before." One important caveat: The study didn't measure whether the videos actually had those effects, only whether the participants felt that they did. The cat video fans said they felt "significantly lower levels of depletion. In a study published in June 2015, which surveyed 7,000 cat video enthusiasts, respondents said that watching internet cat videos raised their energy levels, heightened their feel-good emotions, and minimized their negative feelings, as reported by LiveScience. (Videos of other cute animals could also do the trick, a 2012 study found.) If you try to mask this effect with sugary foods and caffeine, you'll get a momentary high before a rapid crash.Ĭats may be unusually lazy, but some people find that their furry antics provide not only a way to boost mood, but to combat sleepiness and boost productivity as well. Large meals can have the same effect, because digestion takes energy (ahem, food coma). Low blood sugar can make you feel foggy and lethargic. "Naps, in contrast to caffeine, have been shown to enhance not only alertness and attention, but also some forms of memory consolidation," University of California–San Diego researchers reported. Other studies have shown that sleep improves learning, memory, and creative thinking, and even quick six-minute naps help people retain information better than if they hadn't slept at all. Longer naps - of up to an hour - can sometimes be worth it, as long as you can afford the extra time to push through that groggy after-glow.Ī 2008 study found that an afternoon nap was better than both getting more sleep at night and using caffeine to get over a midday slump. Going much longer than that means the post-sleep grogginess also known as "sleep inertia" will kick in, leaving you sluggish after you wake. Take a napĪs long as it's not for too long or too close to bedtime, napping for five to 25 minutes about six to seven hours before you'd normally go to bed is a great way to recharge. This is an update of an article originally posted by Julia Calderone. Below, we've complied a list of scientifically backed ways to stay alert without consuming any caffeine at all. What constitutes large quantities depends on the individual, but in general, more than 5-600 milligrams (or four cups) a day may cause side effects including insomnia, nervousness, and stomach problems.Įven if you consume less than that, the energy boost from coffee wears off after a few hours, leaving you as tired as you were before, if not more so.įortunately, there are plenty of alternative ways to perk yourself up - beyond simply sleeping more at night. Unfortunately, consuming large quantities of caffeine comes with risks. Which is why it's tempting to down a cup (or two, or three) when you're nodding off at work, or when you wake up in the morning feeling not quite refreshed. There's an easy way to stay awake and alert.
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