Stop beating yourself up
Yes, it happened: due to circumstances beyond or beyond your control, you went to bed a few hours before the alarm went off and woke up completely shattered. And if headaches and aches in your whole body are not enough for you, then it’s time to start looking for the guilty ones, reproaching yourself and hating everyone around.
The already minimal reserves of energy will be spent on empty experiences and repeated attempts to at least mentally return to the past and go to bed. Alas, the teleportation session will fail again, so the only and surest thing to do now is to accept – today will be a little more difficult than the previous one, and you just need to survive.
Listen to your body
Every day a person, regardless of whether he slept or not, is an alternation of ebb and flow of energy. For example, it is impossible to be at the peak of your capabilities all working hours. Therefore, for greater productivity, you need to listen to your body and take pauses at the moment when your strength is already running out.
Energy cycles replace each other constantly, and, of course, after a sleepless night, the fluctuations will be more pronounced. The periods of intellectual and physical activity will be significantly shorter than the rest phases. It is right in such a situation not to go against your body and not force yourself, forcing you to work during the “outflow” of energy. Resisting will only lead to greater decay. Therefore, finish your last urgent letter and rest, because very soon there will be a tide again.
Procrastinate
When there is very little energy, and there is no strength to work at all, then the best option is, in principle, to minimize any activity. In such a state, there is a high risk of making a bunch of mistakes due to carelessness and doing oneself a disservice. So this is the very case when delay is not at all dangerous, so feel free to postpone all non-urgent and not very important matters until tomorrow. Don’t delay – procrastinate now!
Get creative
The loss of energy and the outflow of energy is a kind of invitation to take a break, which, by the way, does not necessarily imply sleep. During rest, a person’s attention becomes involuntary, and thinking becomes less rational. A person falls into a pleasant state of half-sleep, when consciousness is maximally free from the usual framework, and thoughts continuously replace each other.
Many famous people, such as Thomas Edison and Salvador Dali, deliberately deprived themselves of sleep in order to immerse themselves in this state, because they believed that it stimulates the flow of new ideas for creativity.
Stick to your daily schedule
Even if you went to bed a couple of hours before your usual wake-up time, do not try to rearrange the alarm for “another five minutes.” In this situation, the chances are high that the next time you open your eyes, it will already be dark. As hard as it gets, get out of bed and follow your daily routine.
At the same time, no one canceled a small exercise and a light breakfast. Only now it is better to replace coffee with a cup of green tea. Thanks to the antioxidants it contains, green tea will significantly reduce the level of cortisol (stress hormone) and increase performance. Also remember to drink plenty of water, this will help you stay hydrated and be as alert as possible in your condition.
Turn on the lights everywhere
Morning light not only energizes us and lifts our spirits, increasing the level of serotonin in the blood, but also regulates circadian rhythms, which are precisely responsible for the alternation of the phases of wakefulness and sleep. Thus, the more light around you, the more cheerful you will feel.
Moreover, even on a cloudy day, when the whole sky is covered with clouds, it is better to spend 30 minutes outside than an hour in a well-lit room. And if you can’t get out into the fresh air, try to fill the space around you with light as much as possible – move the curtains or blinds and turn on the electric lighting.
Avoid short-term energy stimulants
Stay away from foods that trigger a momentary burst of energy. For example, you should not drink 10 cups of coffee in the hope of invigorating, because the effect will be diametrically opposite. A temporary burst of energy will quickly be replaced by a prolonged “ebb” and a return to the previous state of sleepiness and apathy.
Therefore, on this sleepy day, you should give up energy drinks, alcohol, cola, chocolates – in general, everything that contains a lot of sugar or caffeine. And if possible, try not to go to bed during the day. Otherwise, you will further disrupt the circadian rhythms already knocked down by one sleepless night, and the “broken” state in which you wake up will only aggravate your well-being.
Breathe fast
Try one simple yoga breathing exercise for a quick boost and boost your focus, at least briefly. – kapalabhati . With your mouth closed, take a deep breath and exhale forcefully through your nose. Repeat the exercise two more times – each approach no longer than 15 seconds.
Then, when you’ve got enough sleep, you can gradually start to increase the duration of one approach, adding five seconds each time. This breathing technique stimulates the flow of vital energy and helps to increase performance.
Be extremely careful
Lack of sleep has a negative impact on both physical and mental abilities. Therefore, on this day you need to be extremely careful. – both with their actions and with words. First of all, do not make any important and responsible decisions.
In this state, you will not be able to pay due attention to all the details, and the probability of making a mistake is greater than ever. In addition, after a sleepless night, all your reflexes are reduced and your reaction is impaired, so on this day you are a passenger, not a driver, it is simply dangerous to drive!
Spend the evening at home
After work, immediately go home, even if it seems that you still have enough strength to sit in a cafe with friends. Use the evening time to recover, calm down and relax. After a light dinner, start gradually getting ready for bed.
Of course, you will fall asleep as soon as your head touches the pillow, but nevertheless, try to expose your body to such stress as little as possible. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to dire consequences, so take your word of honor that a full eight hours of sleep will now be one of your main priorities in life.