Do an upper-body fan stretch. Lie on your back with your arms outstretched at your sides and your palms facing up. Bring your knees up to your chest and roll to your right side. Your knees should be stacked on top of each other and your hips should be stacked. Turn your head to the left. Try to keep both shoulders touching the floor. Sweep your left palm in a 180-degree arc over your chest to touch your right palm. Let your head follow your arm. Then slowly reverse the movement. Repeat this stretch 10 times, then switch sides and repeat it on the other side. Do gentle crunches. Lie face up and bend your knees. Keep your feet planted on the floor. Press your palms on the floor, near your hips. Squeeze your abs and lift both of your shoulder blades off the floor. Hold the crunch for a full breath and then lower. Repeat this movement 10 to 15 times. Be sure to take a full breath as you hold each crunch. Do basic squats. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your toes facing forward. Extend your arms in front of you, with your palms facing each other. Keep your weight in your heels as you sit back and down, as if sitting in a chair. Make sure your knees do not extend beyond your toes. Hold the squat for a full breath and then return to standing. Repeat this movement for 5 to 10 breaths.
A handful of raw almonds are a good pick-me-up snack, full of Vitamin E and Magnesium. They also contain lots of protein to give you energy throughout the day. A bowl of Greek yogurt is packed with protein, but has less lactose and carbohydrates than regular yogurt. It will keep you full, without slowing you down or making you more tired. Popcorn is a good snack in the office that is a good source of carbohydrates and is low in calories, especially when it is not smothered in butter. Go for a salad full of leafy greens, like spinach or kale, to boost your iron levels. This will make you more alert and improve your concentration levels.
You can also have other sources of caffeine, like dark chocolate. The darker the chocolate, the less sugar it contains and the most energy-boosting potential it has. [4] X Research source Have small pieces of dark chocolate, with no added sugar, throughout the day to stay awake and alert.
Set an alarm for 30 minutes so your nap doesn’t turn into a 1-hour snooze.
Go for healthy protein snacks like a handful of almonds, peanuts, or cashews. Rice crackers, cheese, and sliced turkey and ham are also a more filling protein snack. Fruit high in fiber, like apples, and natural sugars, like oranges, are also good snacks to keep you awake and alert.
If you cannot reorganize your schedule, plan on a nap break or a caffeine break between meetings or tasks so you can stay awake and alert.
As well, if you were planning to present a 50-slide Powerpoint presentation at a meeting, try to engage your co-workers in conversation during the presentation. Otherwise, you might end up putting yourself and others in the room right to sleep with a dry, slides-only meeting.
