Have you ever had the feeling that you wanted to do so many things, but you just didn’t have the energy to stay awake?

Well I’ve been dealing with that problem a lot lately. I have a love-hate relationship with sleeping. I realize that I need sleep and it just feels great to doze of in soothing unconsciousness but then there are (emergency) times where clear focus is required and I need to stay alert.

Note: these are short-term fixes which don’t provide optimal results.

Sleep and recovery are not negotiable for optimal performance. Especially under a heavy physical and mental training regimen.

Anyways, here are some quick ways how you can stay awake.

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Deep breathing

Deep breathing increases oxygen levels that fire up your body and prepare you mind for action! Do this preferably outside while breathing in cold air. You can do this anywhere but there might me some people who give you a weird look ;)

Cold

Your body will react to the cold by increasing your heart rate to keep your body warm. Increased blood flow makes you more alert and awake. (Cold showers are pretty epic in the winter when the pipes are frozen :D)

Music

This is a great way to kick your mind into consciousness. Put it on max volume and sing along.

Expressing yourself also activates the mind and keeps you stimulated.

Anything that stimulates increases consciousness.

Motivational videos

Get inspired by watching someone talk about achieving your maximum potential. This will fire you up into action. You can even record one yourself when you feel great. You can always rewatch this video later when you feel demotivated/tired.

Here are some of my recommendations.

Exercise

Anything that elevates your heart rate will increase your awareness and focus. Here are some simple things to do when you are feeling tired;

  • Running
  • Planking (core stability)
  • Push ups (as much as you can do)
  • Jumping jacks
  • Burpees
  • Sit-ups
  • Handstand against a wall
  • Shake your body/dance
  • Flexing

This is really a great way to fire up your whole system. Don’t worry about the intensity, the energy you get from this is the main focus.

**Power naps

**

Sometimes short power naps (as short as 10 minutes) can give you the needed energy to stay awake, focused and alert. Try different lengths of power-naps to stay awake during the day!

Drink Water

Keeping yourself hydrated is very important if you want your body to function properly! So drink about 3 glasses of water when you are feeling tired. Bathroom breaks also keep you moving, which is a great bonus.

Exposure To Bright Light

Bright lights like lamps and laptop screen gives our brain the signal that it is still daytime (because it mimics the sun) and no time to sleep. So we suppress the production of melatonin which is basically the sleep hormone. Which we don’t need when we have some important tasks at hand.

Splash Water In Your Faceawake-water

The face is very sensitive and contains a lot of nerves and muscles. When it encounters a temperature difference it gives your body the signal to wake up because there might be something bad happening and you need to be able to react to that!

Posture

Don’t lie down on the couch if you want to stay awake. Plant your feet on the floor so you heart has to pump harder to keep blood-flow going.

The more upright your body is positioned the harder your heart has to work to keep blood flow going

Chewing

Chewing causes your body to produce more insulin because it thinks it has to prepare for new incoming food. Insulin hereby stimulates the brain by telling it’s not yet time to go to dreamland.

Try some unsweetened gum

**Pain

awake-pain**

Just make yourself a little uncomfortable to create a reaction in your body to stay awake. Here are some tips you can use to hurt yourself.

  1. pinching yourself
  2. slapping yourself in the face
  3. Biting your lip/tongue
  4. snapping yourself with a rubber band

Don’t go crazy by hitting yourself in the nuts with a baseball bat – keep it just a little bit uncomfortable.

Arousal

Fire up your procreation instinct by becoming aroused. Whether this is online or offline that choice is up to you. I’m sure you know how to do the trick ;)

Stimulants

Stimulants like sugar/caffeine/nicotine/pharmaceutical drugs also create a temporal spike in your awareness but in the long run these do more harm than good in the body. Only do these when you can’t do any of the above or they are not working (which I highly doubt).

They should be your last resort and never used in excess.

Essence

Alright that’s all I can think off for now. Here’s a short re-cap of all items listed;

  1. Deep Breathing
  2. Cold
  3. Energetic Music
  4. Motivational Videos
  5. Intense Exercise
  6. Power-naps
  7. Drink water
  8. Bright Light
  9. Wash Face with cold water
  10. Posture
  11. Chewing
  12. Pain
  13. Arousal
  14. Stimulants

Anyway I hope this post has helped you in your conscious journey to success. With these tips you have a big arsenal of tools you can use to combat fatigue when you need to stay awake!

If you’re having thoughts or questions on this topic, feel free to share that in the comment section below.
Take care!

Simon