From inert to alert: Besides coffee, how else can I wake myself up?

After seven cups of coffee, the working day is finally over, but you still feel tired? Caffeine won't solve the problem in the long term. Tips for getting through the day with enough energy. Berlin (dpa) – "Don't talk to me until I've had my coffee" is a popular phrase emblazoned on mugs. No wonder – many of us need that morning caffeine jolt to get into gear and be halfway able to interact with fellow humans. But might there not be a better way? How about getting a good night's sleep? Overly simple though it may sound, how energized you start the day substantially depends on how well you slept, on how much of your sleep requirement you met. "For most adults, it's between seven and nine hours," says Emma Erhard, team measures project manager at the Germany-based Institute for Occupational Health Counselling (IFBG). Not only the amount of sleep is important, its quality is too. Evening routines, avoiding bright electronic screens around bedtime, and a dark, quiet bedroom can help get your body into rest mode, she says. The foremost factors boosting alertness after waking up are daylight and fresh air. So if possible, it's a good idea to walk or cycle to work, advises Nora Johanna Schüth, a psychologist and research assistant at Germany's Institute of Applied Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics (ifaa). This, she says, will stimulate production of the "activity hormone" serotonin and increase your energy level. If you rely on your car or public transport to get to work, she suggests parking some distance away or getting out a couple of stops earlier. As for coffee, it does make you more alert, but its effect tends to be short-lived. "Someone who continually needs coffee is often addressing a sleep deficit or stress," says Schüth, who recommends drinking a glass of water after every cup. "This can help to cut down on your coffee consumption and increase your daily fluid intake." Research shows, says Erhard, that "coffee doesn't provide an energy boost when you're well rested. Caffeine is only effective when you're suffering from a lack of sleep" – but just for a few days, after which it no longer works as a pick-me-up. In other words, she says, "someone who regularly drinks a lot of coffee needs it to reach their baseline alertness level, not to surpass it." There are three things you can do to keep your energy from flagging during a workday: take breaks, get in some exercise, and breathe fresh air. Erhard advises taking a "microbreak" of at least one to two minutes every 60 minutes. "This is often enough to regain your focus," she says. If possible, you can also take a power nap – but keep it to a maximum of 20 minutes. Oxygen helps boosts your ability to concentrate too, points out Schüth, so you'd do well to open nearby windows wide from time to time. And whether it's climbing stairs or doing light stretching exercises, if you use your breaks to exercise a bit, you'll stimulate blood flow and become more alert. Healthy snacks can help prevent an energy slump as well. "Complex carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats provide sustained energy," remarks Schüth, who advises against protein bars because of what she says are unnecessary additives. Instead, she recommends a small tub of low-fat quark with berries, or a small bag of mixed nuts. To keep your alertness from plummeting after lunch, make sure to avoid extremely fatty, salty or stodgy food. A light lunch is less of a burden on your body, says Erhard, and, "in combination with a after-lunch walk, will minimize your midday low." You should also steer clear of foods that are highly processed, have a lot of sugar or white flour, advises Schüth. "They cause blood sugar levels to spike and then fall shortly afterwards," which she warns can make you sluggish and blunt your ability to concentrate. Regular energy intake via healthy meals that are spread throughout the day will help you to stay fit and prevent food cravings, she says. Whether you're an "early bird," a "night owl," or somewhere in between, everyone is a particular chronotype, i.e. has a tendency to sleep and wake at certain times. And "the time of day a person performs at their peak depends on their chronotype," says Erhard. Knowing this can help you to organize your workday accordingly. "You can take on demanding tasks during your peak phase, when your concentration is sharpest," she says. "Routine and organizational tasks, on the other hand, can be done during your midday low." Schüth points out that switching between mental and physical activities can help keep tiredness at bay. And she recommends avoiding caffeine from late afternoon onwards so as not to disturb your sleep. "Fixed sleep and wake times are an important part of a good daily routine," she adds. Regular evening routines can help you to sleep better and wake up more refreshed in the morning, according to Erhard. "These routines can take various forms, from reading or doing puzzles to simple breathing exercises," she says. "The main thing is regularity." This teaches your brain to associate the activity with going to sleep: "Then it knows it's time to power down." The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn ada yyzz a3 bzl nhr amc ob

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