Whether you are at work, in class, driving, or doing any other activity that requires that you be both awake and alert, it is easy for your mind to wander or even to fall asleep. Many people struggle with staying focused and alert during day-to-day activities, especially when they are experiencing fatigue. Obviously, getting more sleep is a great solution to fighting this, but when that isn’t possible, try some of these easy tips to help you be more alert during the day.
Improve Your Diet
Some people use various unhealthy methods to stay alert during the day like consuming large amounts of caffeine or sugar. This may help you stay alert in the short term, but these methods actually cause more harm in the long run and will decrease your ability to stay alert for long periods of time. Instead, try eating healthy snacks and meals throughout the day. If you aren’t getting the right amount of nutrients from your meals, try adding some supplements such as active pk to your diet so that you can rely on more healthy and natural methods of getting energy rather than caffeine or sugar.
Drink More Water
Instead of drinking soda, coffee, or other unhealthy caffeinated drinks, try to drink more water consistently throughout the day. Experts recommend that you drink around two liters or half a gallon of water a day. If you struggle with drinking the recommended amount of water per day, try leaving a water bottle on your desk at work or school to remind you to keep drinking throughout the day. Not only will this keep your body more active and refreshed, it will drastically improve your mind’s ability to focus and get work done.
Take a Power Nap
Most people don’t have time during the day to take long naps in order to help them stay alert later in the day, but studies have shown that short power naps are actually more helpful in keeping you awake and alert throughout the day. The key to a power nap is to avoid deep REM sleep because this type of sleep will actually cause you to wake up feeling more disoriented and exhausted. Try setting an alarm for no more than ten to twenty minutes and then closing your eyes. You may not feel like you are actually getting sleep, but this short exercise will rest your mind and re-energize you so that you feel more capable of getting through the day with an alert and active mind.
Get Some Sunlight
One cause of mental and physical exhaustion is a lack of vitamin D. If you spend most of your day working inside, both your mind and your body will take a toll from the lack of sunlight. So, one easy way to stay more mentally alert is to get more vitamin D by spending more time in the sun. Try eating your lunch outside, sitting by a window, spending more time outside when you aren’t at work or school, or even buy a natural sun lamp that provides vitamin D. If you make these small changes and go slightly out of your way to get more sunlight, you will feel less exhausted and your mind will feel more alert during the day.
Try Meditation
Like power naps, meditation is a short mental exercise that you can do during the day that doesn’t take a lot of time but will ultimately reactivate your mind and increase your capacity to focus. Meditation simply involves taking time to exercise your mind, focus on your breathing, and relax your body. If you find it difficult to meditate on your own, try following a guided meditation exercise that will instruct you on how to meditate and will guide you in breathing exercises. Even meditating for just a few minutes can drastically improve your mind’s ability to focus and relax.
If you find it difficult to stay alert during the day, you are not the only one. However, there are plenty of simple and healthy options for improving your mind’s ability to focus and stay alert.