8 tips for more energy and to procrastinate less at work
One bad night and nothing happens at work - who doesn't know it? But whether tired or not, the work has to be done and when you're really tired, coffee and co. alone don't help anymore... That's why we have 8 tips for more energy and more productive work for you here, when you actually can't get out of yawning.
Productivity tip no. 1: Chillax!
You're terribly tired, can hardly concentrate and are stuck for hours on small tasks... Your brain wants to procrastinate all the time. Ok! Then let it do just that, but consciously. For example with a meditation (in the office you can also do it on the toilet, if it's not possible somewhere else).
Set a timer for 5 minutes or just 3, as you like.
Sit upright and take a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. Close your eyes and scan through your body, starting with your head. Feel through your body once, slowly but steadily. Don't stop anywhere, but go through your body once without judging or evaluating. How does your neck feel? How does your chest feel? How does your belly, your legs, your toes feel?
Feel the contact of your legs with the floor, the weight of your hands in your lap. Then you can let your mind run free and think, but let the thoughts pass by like clouds and don't try to hold them in.
If that doesn't quite work the first time, no problem, it will get better with time. After the meditation, your body had a deep moment of rest that gave it strength to continue again.
You can also achieve the same effects with hypnoses (e.g. from YouTube), although these take longer (usually between 15-60 minutes), but can also have a much stronger effect. Just search for hypnoses or guided meditations for more energy and treat yourself to a moment of relaxation! But beware, you better set an alarm clock for safety if you are very tired, because hypnoses tempt you to take a nap....
You can also just take a power nap right away. It can last 10-20 minutes, as you like. Power naps really give you a lot of power, as the name suggests. Unfortunately, they are difficult to do in the office or at the university.
Productivity tip no. 2: You gotta move it!
Sometimes just a little fresh air is enough. Open the window, take a few laps around the table. Or if you have 10 minutes, walk a lap around the building. The unused air will wake you up and give you new strength, and the movement will get your circulation going.
You can also stretch properly or do some squats as you like, the main thing is to get the blood flowing again and deliver new oxygen to your brain.
If you take such exercise breaks more often, you'll soon find that you can get things done even when you're tired! In addition, such breaks also stimulate your metabolism, which would of course have advantages when losing weight. Two birds with one stone.
Productivity tip no. 3: Make plans. Seriously.
If you are extremely tired and still need to work, it is recommended to have a good plan at hand.
Which tasks need to be completed by when? What is the most important, what has the largest scope and how should you divide the large projects?
All of this should be clear to you, or you should quickly find a clear area or task that you want to get done that day.
Set a goal for the day, what is your minimum that needs to get done? And then get it done.
Productivity tip no. 4: Compartmentalize your work
Make fixed time periods or a daily schedule, how long do you want to spend on which task? How long should the intervals last in which you work and how long should the intervals last in which you take a break? Here it is important that you make the length of the breaks (if you can determine it yourself) attractive. For some, a 15-minute break after 60 minutes of highly concentrated work sounds great, while others want to work for 45 minutes and then also take a 30-minute break.
Depending on what your work and your environment allow, you can decide individually and block out your time. If you take regular longer breaks, you will end up with more productivity or work done than if you stare into your screen for 4 hours straight, that's for sure. Which brings us to the next point:
Productivity tip no. 5: Don't forget to take your break!
Without breaks, there is little productivity.
Make your breaks creative and attractive for you personally, because this is the only way to make sure that you notice and use them and thus increase your productivity. Go out for ice cream, treat yourself to a candy bar, take a spin around the building, visit your favorite colleague, pet the office dog, meditate another round, etc! The important thing is to always move around a bit on your breaks, and to really get some mental distance from your work. Concentration is like a bow, you can overstretch it and even severely limit yourself in productivity.
Productivity tip no. 6: Use tools
What keeps you awake? Whether it's coffee, tea, sugar, or a good meal, indulge yourself and use any help you can find to stay awake. Some people find it helpful to put a rubber band around their wrist, pull it up and then let it snap back. Pain also wakes you up, although we would rather not recommend this method. You can also eat a spicy chili or a tiny bit of wasabi. Spicy food also stimulates the metabolism and immediately boosts blood flow to the brain. Chewing gum can also promote blood flow to the head. However, these are only short helpers that keep you awake for the moment, but leave you feeling all the more exhausted afterwards.
Prodcutivity tip no. 7: Eat healthy snacks
More sustainable tools for increased productivity when you're exhausted are healthy snacks. They can boost your concentration and performance in the short term. A piece of fruit or some nuts can have a big impact and are also a nice break incentive!
Productivity tip no. 8: Get better sleep with CBD
If you want to permanently gain more energy and productivity, you should get to the root of your fatigue problem - for example, naturally with CBD oil. It can calm, promote sleep and a calmer, more relaxed overall state. Cannabidiol (CBD) interacts with the body's endocannabinoid system, with the help of CBD receptors located in the brain. Thus, CBD is said to be able to influence the body's central nervous system. CBD is said to have a calming effect, which is why it is often successfully recommended and used for people with sleep problems.
