I definitely struggle to stay awake during lectures and motivated to complete everything I planned out for the day. Every now and then, I treat myself to a Starbucks coffee when I feel like I have a long day ahead of me. Here are some other ways to help you stay awake and alert throughout the day:

• Caffeine

  • Coffee
    • Like I mentioned above, coffee is my go-to drink for when I’m feeling drowsy. My usual coffee order is a caramel macchiato with an extra espresso shot. That roughly equates to 150mg of caffeine. Over my years of being a sleep-deprived student, I’ve found that I’m quite susceptible to caffeine so I used a caffeine calculator to make sure that I don’t consume above my limit. Consuming too much caffeine may result in dizziness, headache, insomnia, other symptoms, and should not be a replacement to natural rest.
  • Tea
    • If you’re not into coffee, many teas have caffeine as well! Black tea contains 60-75mg of caffeine per cup. The amount of caffeine is also dependent on how long you steep the tea so steep longer for more caffeine. Drinking tea also has some health benefits like lowering the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and overall calmness. My usual cup of tea consists of green tea with a little bit of honey.

• What you can eat

  • Start the day with a balanced breakfast
    • Surprisingly, to help you stay awake throughout the day, waking up early and giving yourself adequate time to get ready can help you in the long run. Common breakfast foods like eggs, oatmeal, and yogurt are full of nutrients and vitamins to start the day. Although grabbing a quick cup of coffee or a sugary pastry saves time, it might make you crash earlier in the day if you do it too often. Building this habit will help you approach the day with a better mindset.
  • Carry snacks
    • Speaking from personal experience, getting hungry in the middle of the day can definitely throw off your focus and make you lose motivation! Most of the time, it’s because we are running low on energy. I find a banana, sliced fruit, and carrots with hummus to be good pick-me-ups throughout the day. Also, granola bars, trail mix, and fruit snacks are some of the best snacks to have with you at all times because they’re non-perishable and are still okay after being smacked around the bottom of a backpack or bag.
  • Stay hydrated
    • This is so important! Drinking enough water throughout the day really does wonders. A symptom of dehydration is lack of energy, which can lead to sleepiness. Definitely something you do not want to feel in the middle of the day. Although this amount is different for each person, a good guideline is for adults to drink 8 ounces of water 8 times a day. This can easily remembered by the “8 by 8” rule.
    • Be eco-friendly and carry a refillable water bottle when you’re out on walks and running errands!
  • Lifesum
    • I use a free app called Lifesum to track my meals/snacks, water, and exercise. I really like how it’s easy to use and the user interface is really appealing! You can also sync the app with your mobile device so that it can track your steps. By using Lifesum, I was able to manage my diet and make sure that I build a habit of keeping my energy up throughout the day. Lifesum is available on iOS and and Android to download.

• Lifestyle Changes

  • Optimal sleep and nap time
    • Sleep plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy life. It is recommended that adults get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Here are some of the things that happen during a sleep cycle:
      • Tissue growth and repair
      • Energy restoration to the brain and body
      • Growth hormones essential for development are released
      • Support for daytime performance
    • Naps can reduce feelings of sleepiness, but be careful not to overdo it. An ideal nap duration is 10 to 30 minutes. You should consider other factors when deciding to take a nap, such as not napping for too long or too close to your bedtime. These will impact your regular sleep schedule and how you’ll feel after the nap.
  • Mindfulness Techniques
    • What exactly are mindfulness techniques? They are simple practices you can do to focus on what your body is feeling and sensing in the current moment by doing simple breaths and stretches. According to the Mayo Clinic, these techniques can benefit you by reducing stress, pain, insomnia, and other conditions discussed on their website.
    • This video, “5-Minute Meditation You Can Do Anywhere” by Goodful is quick and easy to help yourself reset and destress.
  •  Exercise
    • There are many benefits to exercising including improvements in your physical and mental health. By including daily exercise into your schedule, it will greatly improve how you go about your day.
    • Morning workouts: Exercising in the mornings sound dreadful, but once you build the habit it can help you establish a routine. Just the fact that you took the time before your usual schedule to exercise gives you a sense of achievement and with this mindset, it will motivate you to tackle your day of to-do’s. Morning workouts will also force you out of bed so that you do not oversleep and feel groggy.
    • Evening workouts: This is my preferred time to exercise because it is the last thing I do before I get to go home and relax! I get to exercise the built up stress from the day away and have some self-reflection time while I’m running on the treadmill. Exercising at this time is great for night owls, like myself, who have trouble sleeping at night because it’ll tire you out just enough that you’ll fall asleep easier.

These are just some of the things you can do to stay attentive throughout your day, but more importantly, it is dependent on how you set yourself up before the day even starts by building healthy habits and doing things in moderation. Hopefully the content I’ve written above helps you get through the day in a healthy and productive way.