Stay Awake at Work with These 4 Easy Steps (No Caffeine Required)

There’s a good chance that you haven’t had a good night’s sleep – and when you’re already working, this becomes something to deal with on a regular basis. And if the coffee machine is down at work and there’s no access to coffee anytime soon, you’ll be stuck looking for ways to stay awake without feeling groggy and dozing off.

Here are a few easy steps you can take to keep yourself from falling asleep, especially if you can’t get access to a sip of your much-needed energy-boosting coffee:

1. Increase your visual stimulation
The first thing you can do to keep yourself from falling asleep is by not letting your body produce melatonin, which is the chemical neurotransmitter that signals your brain that it’s time to go to sleep.

Melatonin is produced even more in dim environments with low light, which means that to avoid falling asleep, you need to keep your environment as bright as possible.

You can do this by letting as much natural light into the room as possible, such as opening the windows in the morning or turning on the lights at work to make things brighter and easier to see.

2. Drink lots of water
Dehydration is another factor that can leave you feeling even more sluggish and sleepy throughout the day, so be sure to have a bottle of water within reach.

Having some snacks can also help to give you the energy to coast through, as long as you don’t eat too much in one sitting.

Avoid foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar – they may give you a short-term burst of energy, but once it subsides, you will start to feel even more drained than before you consumed them. Instead, stick to healthy snacks, such as nuts and fruits.

3. Splash cold water on your face
Exposure to different temperatures makes your body adjust to regulate its own. For instance, when it’s hot outside, your body responds by sweating to keep cool. In the same way, when your body encounters something cold, it responds by raising its temperature.

You can do this to improve your mood and make you more alert during the day, and all you need is a quick bathroom break to get you back in action.

4. Go for a walk
Moving around distributes the lactic acids in your muscles, raises your internal temperature, and gets your blood moving.

If all else fails, you can always try stretching or going out of your cubicle for a short walk. If you can’t do that, you can move more discreetly by wiggling your feet, scrunching your toes, or crossing your legs.