Even with a full eight hours of sleep, you can feel tired throughout the day. You’re not alone. Many people struggle to stay focused and energized. The way to get all-day energy is more than just a good night’s sleep, but catering your daily habits to your body’s natural cycles. This is also known as chronobiology. By scheduling your activities during the day to align with your internal clock, you can find energy no matter what time of day it is. Keep reading to learn more.
1. Bright Light Exposure in the Morning
To jumpstart your internal clock right from the start, try and expose yourself to bright light within 30 minutes of waking up. The natural sunlight streaming through your window tells the brain to stop producing melatonin and instead switch to cortisol to get you fully awake. If you can’t go outside to get sunlight, try opening the shades in your home and sitting next to a window, or use a bright therapy lamp.
2. Delay Your First Coffee
So many people say they need coffee to wake up, but that might not be best for your body’s internal clock. If possible, try delaying your first cup of coffee until 90 to 120 minutes after waking up. If you wake up and drink coffee straight away, it can disrupt your body’s natural cortisol production and instead rely on artificial stimulation, like the caffeine from coffee. If you need something to drink, hydrate with water until it’s the proper time for coffee.
3. Optimize Mid-Morning Productivity
Finding the best time for productivity is crucial to having a successful day. The mid-morning window, from 9 am to noon, is perfect for focused work that requires more brain power. To maximize your internal clock and energy, schedule challenging tasks, like creative writing or planning, during this peak time. Then, schedule lower-level activities like checking social media or replying to emails until later in the day.
4. Balanced Lunch for Steady Energy
Lunch is super important to give you that boost for the final part of the day. If possible, try staying away from large, high-glycemic foods like potatoes, processed foods, or grains, which can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes. Instead, choose a lunch that features lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep those energy levels consistent throughout the rest of your workday.
5. Power Nap or Walk After Lunch
Even if you eat a balanced meal, there is a chance for a post-lunch dip in productivity. To combat the dip from 1 pm to 3 pm, try a brief power nap for around 10 to 20 minutes, or a short walk outside. Both options will give you a rest from the tasks at hand and allow your mind to clear and prepare for a few more hours at work. It also helps you get energy without needing to rely on caffeine.
6. Tackle Low-Concentration Tasks in the Afternoon
In a similar vein to the high productivity time slot, there is also a lower productivity time slot. During the afternoon, when you have a dip in energy, try completing routine tasks like responding to or sending emails, or planning out the next day. It helps conserve cognitive energy and reduce fatigue from figuring out complex assignments. If you need the whole day for harder assignments, try doing the most taxing ones in the morning.
7. Implement an Evening Light Curfew
In the age of technology, blue light is everywhere. Coming from phones, computers, laptops, and TVs, blue light can suppress the production of melatonin and disrupt your sleep quality. Decrease your amount of blue light consumption before bed by setting a light curfew. Around 90 minutes before you go to bed, dim the lights and reduce your screen time, and opt for non-screen activities like a book, puzzle, or other calming pastimes. Not only will this help you fall asleep, but have more energy for the next day.
8. Understand Your Chronotype
Your chronotype, or internal clock preferences, is super important. Like your hair color, your chronotype is specific to you and can fall into several categories, including the morning person, night owl, disrupted sleep, or social. Each of these categories comes with a different daily schedule and optimal energy timeline. For example, the social chronotype (also known as the Bear) may work best during midday peaks.
Final Thoughts
By understanding and aligning with your body’s internal clock, you can take unproductive and unenergized days and turn them into energy-abundant days. Start by slowly adding some of these habits into your daily life, and watch as your internal clock turns you into a proactive person throughout the whole day.