We all know the importance of getting a good night’s sleep. Lack of sleep can cause anxiety, irritability and affect your ability to retain information, all impairing your productivity. But as all busy entrepreneurs know, sometimes getting a full night of shut-eye just isn’t possible. This Entrepreneur Magazine article offers some tips for powering through the day on little rest.
Open your curtains. Getting exposure to light as soon as you wake up is important for giving you energy to kick-start your day.
Take a cold shower. A 30-60-second cold shower stimulates adrenaline (your body’s fight or flight response), getting your nerves ready for the day.
Breathe. Breathe in through your nose slowly for five seconds, then exhale through the mouth for two seconds. Repeat this exercise five times, simultaneously decreasing and increasing your heart rate.
Avoid having a power lunch. If you’re short on sleep, eating smaller meals throughout the day can help you sustain your energy. Eating a large meal puts a strain on your body’s organs, causing you to feel even more tired.
Power up with protein. While it can be tempting to go for a coffee-and-donut combo, a meal with 20-35g of protein will help to keep you more alert than a high carb meal which will simply give you an initial energy spike followed by an immediate crash. Eggs, Greek yogurt or a piece of meat about the size of the palm of your hand are good healthy options for a pick-me-up snack.
Don’t fill up on coffee. While you may think gulping down caffeine will help you feel more alert, too much caffeine can cause you to feel jittery and anxious rather than focused. Opt for a short cup of coffee every four hours during the day.
Power up with a caffeine nap. You may not think caffeine and a nap go together, but experts say a cup of coffee before a nap is the key to boosting your brain power. The reason the caffeine-nap combo is so effective is that caffeine takes about 45 minutes to be absorbed, so taking a nap while the caffeine is making its way through your system allows you to awake when the alertness effect of the caffeine has kicked in.