Ways to Stay Awake at Work This Winter!

If Monday blues were not enough, we also have the threat of winter blues lingering over our heads now. With falling temperature, our productivity is also falling drastically in winter. One just does not feel like getting out of their comfortable bed and face the world these days. The idea of getting ready alone is enough to force you back into the warm embrace of the comforter and even if against all odds you do manage to make it to your office, chances are that you will fall asleep at your workstation!

Now you must know that this is not some disease. In fact, this happens to the strongest of us in winters due to lack of sunlight. Less sunlight increases the production of a hormone called Melatonin in our bodies, which makes us feel sleepier in winters than we do usually. Also, during winter, days become shorter, which disrupts our sleep and waking cycle, eventually leading us towards fatigue.

However, none of these reasons can convince your employer to let you hibernate during the whole season. So, at the end of the day you have to be your own hero and fight this winter tiredness to find ways to stay awake at workplace. Following are some of the hacks that can help you in doing so!

1. Seek Sunlight!

Do not let your curtains or blinds keep you away from the light. Open them! Let the sunshine brighten up your workplace. If you have the facility then do your work outdoor in the natural daylight and if that is not an option then you can always go out on a short walk outside during the lunch break.

2. Keep Your Sleep Routine The Same

Although it’s normal to long for hibernation in winter. But it does not mean that you should let this feeling disturb your sleeping routine. A good 8 hrs sleep is enough to keep you healthy. Stick to it! Keep your sleeping hours the same as you had in summer. In fact, sleeping for more than 8 hrs might cause more sluggishness than before. So, ironically one of the ways to stay awake is to NOT sleep more!

3. Exercise Regularly!

Now I acknowledge the fact that working out in winter seems quite difficult because who would not want to sit at home in a cozy and warm ambiance in this season. However, this cannot overshadow the fact that exercise is important for us to remain energetic in cold weather. Specially if done in late afternoon, it can reduce our early evening fatigue and improve our sleep. Thus, daily physical activity ranks as an important element when you’re racking your brain to finds ways to stay awake!

4. Stick to the Right Food!

The thing that excites us the most about winter is that we feel like we can eat all those heavy meals which we normally avoid in summer. But do not let your feelings fool you! No matter how tempted you feel to fill yourself up with meaty and starchy food, don’t! Do not ditch vegetables and fruits during this season. To transform them into warm winter meals, you can roast them, mash them or even make a hot soup of these vegetables. Adding dry fruits to your diet would also help you in recovering from winter dullness.

If nothing seems to work then as I mentioned earlier in one of my articles, “The Struggle to Stay Awake at Work”, it’s high time for you to start doing what interests you.