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3 Ways to Boost Your Energy During the Workday

Published: Aug 04, 2017

 Salary & Benefits       Workplace Issues       
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It's 3 o'clock on a weekday, and you find the midafternoon sleepiness setting in. This can be detrimental to the rest of your workday and make it a struggle just to get through the day. There are many ways to reinvigorate your energy and to get that motivation back, but we've narrowed it down to three ways you can boost your energy, no matter the time of day.

1. Eat some chocolate

This may sound counterintuitive, as most nutritionists claim that sugar spikes your energy levels and then sends them into a dizzying crash. However, dark chocolate is the hidden gem among the many bad sugars we see today. Any chocolate with over 70 percent cocoa will not only give you the small boost of caffeine you need, but it will also help improve your health and help lower your risk of heart disease.

2. Take a 10-minute walk

Sitting for hours on end can make us feel our energy levels going down, causing our reaction times to resemble those of a sloth. Even worse, sitting can have a negative impact on our backs, our chances of getting cardiovascular disease, and even our weight. A study compared "adults who spent less than two hours a day in front of the TV or other screen-based entertainment with those who logged more than four hours a day of recreational screen time. Those with greater screen time had:

  • A nearly 50 percent increased risk of death from any cause
  • About a 125 percent increased risk of events associated with cardiovascular disease, such as chest pain (angina) or heart attack"

Just a 10-minute brisk walk can immensely boost your energy. It will not only improve your blood flow, but it could also lower your chances of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.

A good way to walk more during the workday is to suggest to your colleagues that you walk laps instead of meet in a small conference room. Standing can also improve your health, so if your company doesn't have standing desks, you might consider asking for them.

3. Drink some water

We all know at this point that water is the basis of life. It's been drilled into us from an early age, but only now are we starting to learn the true benefits of water from research. Staying hydrated can help you maintain a steady weight, keep your muscles active, keep your skin healthy, and maintain overall balance in your body.

In addition, getting up and refilling your water is one of the best ways to get moving in the office. A good way to ensure you have to do this is to get a smaller mug or water bottle, so that your trips to the kitchen will be more frequent.

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