6 Tips to Stay Alert in a Rush Day

Staying alert in a rush day is something not easy (instead of saying “hard”) but have to do in order to survive and get your works completely done. While many of us reach for caffeine and sugar to combat our midafternoon sluggishness, here are some better strategies from Linda Villarosa:

1. Get a good night's sleep. "In our fast-paced society, most of us don't get enough rest," says Smolensky. "The combination of the body clock's biological tendency and cheating on sleep causes an increased loss of alertness in the afternoon." Though making time in our activity-crammed lives is difficult, he strongly recommends getting eight hours as often as you can.
2. Eat small, nutritious meals that can help combat fatigue, especially in the late afternoon. "Over and over, when I ask people who are tired in the afternoon if they ate breakfast in the morning, nine out of ten say no," says Elizabeth Somer, a registered dietician and author of Food & Mood: The Complete Guide to Eating Well and Feeling Your Best (Owl Books). She advises against carbo-loading at lunch; instead, mix protein-rich foods with carbohydrates to maximize energy. "A small turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread, a cup of low-fat yogurt, and fruit is more energizing than a plate of spaghetti," Somer says.
3. Get off the sugar-caffeine roller coaster. These two energy aids will give you a temporary boost, generally followed by a crash. "We have to learn to value our steady-state energy and productivity above the impulse to drink coffee or eat a Snickers bar," says Oz Garcia, author of The Balance: Your Personal Prescription for Supermetabolism, Renewed Vitality, Maximum Health, Instant Rejuvenation (Regan Books). He suggests "carbohydrate-modified snacking" on such foods as rye crackers with cheese or on protein sources like a hard-boiled egg, an energy bar, or a can of tuna. 
4. Take a brisk walk outside after lunch. Exercise is energizing. And, Smolensky adds, "Exposure to natural light helps increase alertness." 
5. Synchronize your tasks with your energy levels. Save demanding projects and difficult discussions for the times when your energy is high—generally not in the afternoon. "If possible, try something stimulating and interesting but not ultrademanding in the afternoon," says Thomas Lauda, Ph.D., an L.A. management coach who is writing a book about achieving and maintaining peak levels of energy at work. 
6. Interact with people who boost your energy when your level starts to fall. "Schedule afternoon meetings with people who lift your spirits," says Lauda, "or call a true friend to talk for a few minutes." 

Source: 6 Easy Ways to Stay Alert During the Workday Without Sugar or Caffeine! in O, The Oprah Magazine, March 2001.

Linda Villarosa lives in New York City and writes about health and fitness as a contributor to The New York Times.