Happy & Healthy

HOW TO BEAT THE 5 O’CLOCK DIP

Your workday is almost over. Are you struggling to keep your eyes open? Monday is kind of a start-up day unless you’ve had a totally relaxing weekend where you now feel rejuvenated and energized for a new week. Either way, a 4 o’clock dip or nodding off in class or behind your desk are probably no stranger to you. You’re just tired. But there are things you can do about it. And no, I’m not talking about the times when you went out till 4 AM the night before, because; well duh. I’m going to give you some tips on how to beat daytime drowsiness.

• Here’s the most obvious tip: go to bed earlier. Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. This way, you’ll breeze through the day without having to pry matches between your eyelids in order to keep them open.
• Make sure to drink enough water. Dehydration causes exhaustion.
• The same goes for food. Not eating enough makes you tired, drowsy and cranky. Make sure to eat something (like a snack) around 4 o’clock. It will give you a little energy boost.
• Go for a walk, especially when you’ve been staring at a computer screen for hours on end. Get a fresh breath of air to avoid getting drowsy.
• Do a 7-minute workout. Do you know the app? It’ll only cost you 7 minutes a day. It’s a short series of exercises which get your heart rate up and give you more energy as a result. You should be doing this when you’re body is in a seated position for long periods of time already, actually.
• Increase your daily dose of vitamin C; it gives you an energy boost. Especially during the winter, when we tend to have a vitamin C deficiency. Buy a bottle of tablets at the drugstore and take two during breakfast every morning. Trust me on this; it’ll work wonders for your energy levels.
• Last but not least; stay off the wine during the week. Or was that something you did already?

So no more yawning from now on, deal?