Whether you’re lacking sleep due to a bad night’s sleep or because of last night’s
party, it’s difficult to walk into work the following morning looking energized
and fresh, let alone feeling it. Experts say that lack of sleep can affect your
memory, how accident prone you are, prematurely age you and even affect your
libido. But if getting a good night’s sleep is unavoidable, how can we make
ourselves seem refreshed and ready to face the day? Here are six top tips to
get yourself looking like you have that Sunday feeling.
1.
LET THE SUNSHINE IN – Natural light helps reset your body clock by letting
you know it’s time to wake up. That’s why it is hard to lie in when it is super
sunny outside and hard to get up when it’s still dark in winter. Even a rainy
day with low light will help you wake up better than a light bulb. The early
morning light will help you start the day feeling rejuvenated and will perk you
up quickly. Try opening your curtains instead of hitting snooze to get yourself
out of bed.
2.
EAT THE RIGHT FOOD – Most people suffer an afternoon lull in energy levels
between 1pm and 3pm, encouraging us to look to sugary foods and drinks to perk
us up. But in actual fact, the spike in your blood sugar just causes it to
crash, making you feel even more tired and setting off a rollercoaster effect
in your energy levels. Try starting the day with healthy proteins and
wholegrains to give you sustained and prolonged energy throughout the morning.
Foods like avocados, seeded bread and bananas are great to kick start your
morning with.
3.
PARADOXICAL RELAXATION – Let’s face it, most of us can’t take a nap at work no
matter how much we may want to, so why not try paradoxical relaxation. To do
this all you need to do is focus on one muscle group at a time in your body,
concentrating on how it feels and nothing else for at least 15 seconds. Repeat
this up and down the body and ta da! You feel recharged.
4.
TAKE A WALK – Feeling that afternoon lull creep on? Try taking a short 10
minute walk outside. The movement will boost your core temperature which
stimulates the heart, brain and muscles helping to prevent a slump in energy
levels. The increased oxygen intake will also help wake you up and make you
feel fresher. If you can’t get out then even taking stroll around the office
will help.
5.
DRINK MORE WATER – Our brains need good hydration to function properly as our
brain cells require a careful balance between water and various elements to
operate. If you lose too much water, the balance is disrupted and your brain
cells lose efficiency. Dehydration can cause us to have difficulty in keeping
our attention, short-term memory and the ability to perform mental arithmetic.
So make sure you’re drinking enough water. In particular cold drinks, hot
drinks tend to make us feel sleepy, whereas cold drinks are more refreshing and
therefore give you more of a pick-me-up.
6.
EXFOLIATE YOUR SKIN – Using a gentle exfoliating wash in the shower in the morning
will help scrub away dead skin cells and renew your skin, making it look less
dull and tired. It will also help your make up to sit nicely so you can cover
up those dark circles better.