The demanding schedule and stressful workload that comes hand in hand with school is officially upon us. Getting home and feeling too tired to move – been there, done that. While it’s definitely a wonderful feeling to satisfy your needs and sleep, many of us just can’t afford to lose so much time. There are extracurriculars to attend, classes to go to – the only time to take a nice, long rest is when the dark of night falls. I know the feeling. It’s so hard to stay awake when you feel like it’s a fine time to hibernate for a few days (months, years).
So here are some powerful ways to stop tiredness, just for tired people like you and I. Great!
First off, we’re going to need a plan to stay awake. It’s a good idea to keep in mind the following tips so you can add these into your daily schedule. It’s worth it – if you spend less time sleeping and feeling tired, efficiency and motivation will go up.
1. Exercise
No, not a nice walk after dinner. I’m talking about some intense aerobic workouts. So first thing to do when you start feeling tired is to do some aerobic exercise. It will increase your blood flow, and decrease your heart rate. You’ll be more relaxed during the day, and when it comes time to sleep at night, you’ll sleep better.
Some people like to get their exercise in the morning, and apparently the effects last all day long. However, I’d recommend that you find a time that works best for you (be it morning or evening) and go from there.
2. No more sugar
No sugary snacks, no sugar in your coffee, no doughnuts, candy, ice cream. Avoid these sugar traps that give you a short-lived energy high and force you to deal with the sugar lows later on. Also, watch caffeine intake after noon. It makes the quality of your night’s sleep terrible, leaving you tired and grumpy the next morning. Ugh.
3. Eat breakfast!
Wake up five minutes earlier and get your breakfast in. It’ll keep you awake and energized for the morning. Skipping breakfast sets you up for a mid morning crash, which is during class – which is bad. Also, you’ll be ravenous by the time lunch rolls around and eat a lot. See tip #4.
While you’re at it, make sure to eat a good breakfast. Take some protein, eggs, low fat toast, yogurt, granola, milk, or anything else of the sort (try an orange in the morning too). Imagine what Gordon Ramsay would eat. A few Froot Loops or a Danish does not constitute a good breakfast.
4. Eat a light lunch
And eat it slowly, too. Eating too much wastes energy later on in the afternoon when your body is trying to digest. This advice comes from Benjamin Franklin, when he observed that his co-workers ate giant lunches and experienced an afternoon of sleepiness later on. He preferred doing it his own way, eating a hunk of bread and reading at the same time.
I say “eat it slowly”, because you need to take your time when eating lunch. Doing so gives you a small break from the day – a ‘mini vacation’ – that you can return from after lunch, ready to take on the rest of the afternoon.
5. Power Nap!
This is my personal favourite. Sometimes the urge to sleep is too strong – but naps that are 1 -2 hours will only make you more tired. So take a power nap! These naps are around 15 minutes long, and they actually work if you can muster up enough self-motivation to get up when the alarm sounds. If you’re really tired, you’ll fall asleep right away, and after you get up, you’ll feel wonderful. If you find yourself dozing off, squeeze in a little time after lunch, or after school, and take a power nap.
You can also try a caffeine nap, although I haven’t tried this one.
Find more ways to stay awake here.
Happy powernapping, and thank you for reading!
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