Some of us are morning people, able to get up full of energy and charge into the day with nothing but a quick bite to eat and a cup of coffee. Others of us need to build up to the point where we no longer long to return to bed for another hour. Yet, virtually all of us have felt that slump in the middle of the day, where we have to fight the urge to take a little nap at the desk or curl up on the break room sofa. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way.

1. Early to Rise

How do you stay motivated all day? Start as early as you can and don’t hit the snooze button. Your body, even before the alarm goes off, ramps itself up toward wakefulness, stimulating the release of hormones which give you vitality and energy. When you hit the snooze, you’re stifling your productivity and your drive, making it just that much more difficult to start your day. Keep that alarm clock out of reach so you have to get up to turn it off – you’ll find that your day goes oh so much better.

2. Let the Sunshine In

Sunlight is one of our basic human needs. We’re diurnal creatures, for the most part, which means we’re most active in the light. Raise the blinds, open the curtains, and let some sunshine into your room when you get up to help you fully awaken. If it’s dark, turn on some lights to get the blood pumping. CFL “daylight” bulbs emit a color of light very similar to sunlight, as opposed to harsher yellow incandescent lights.

3. Gather Your Thoughts

You’ve just woken up, and something that many people do is hit the ground running. By taking just a few moments in the beginning of your day to gather your thoughts and examine your goals and goal systems, you set yourself up for even MORE productivity because you have direction and purpose on your side. Avoid the urge to check the email and take ten minutes to relish being awake, alive, and refreshed.

4. Walk Around

This sounds like something that would drain energy. It’s the opposite that’s true, however. A University of Georgia study showed that people who took a fairly easy walk about three times a week maintained a higher energy level for a longer time than people whose morning exercise consisted of more intense workouts. Those of us who are not morning people can actually lose energy we’ll need later on if we work out too hard

5. Don’t Forget Breakfast

A little of this, a little of that for breakfast just doesn’t cut it. The most successful people in the world definitely value their breakfast. The real way to take on the world in the morning is to have a mixture of carbs and protein, with perhaps some caffeine thrown in along the way. Adding the protein will help you curb the crash that you get from eating carbs and caffeine alone. If you’re pressed for time, you might want to add a protein bar into the mix, else get your protein from your meats and beans.

6. Supercharge Your Lunch

If you forget to take a vitamin at breakfast, it’s good to take one at lunch. Multivitamins provide the micronutrients that your body may have been missing. It will give you a small boost in energy, keeping you stable and happy throughout the day. When you take a reasonably healthy lunch that isn’t heavy and put it with your vitamin, you can go a long, long way.

7. Eat Lunch Outside

You remember how light in the morning helps you wake up? Sunlight is a powerful thing, and not just in the morning. It boosts production of vitamin D, which in turn may help keep your energy levels up. Researchers believe vitamin D is one of the factors that controls your metabolism and the release of insulin, both of which play a big part in how much energy you have.

8. Move Around, Eat Something

No matter what you’ve been doing throughout the day, it’s still highly likely that you’ll feel a bit of the afternoon blahs every once in a while. The best way to fight them is to just get up and move around. Is there something that needs to be checked? Aren’t you feeling the need to get up out of your seat?

If you’re feeling a bit trapped at your desk a protein bar which has some carbs and protein can come to the rescue. These bars aren’t simply for bodybuilders and weightlifters… they’re for everyone who’s feeling that slump happen in the middle of the day.

9. Keep Moving

Even after you leave work, there’s always something to do. It’s time to keep moving and accomplish all of those things in your personal life, too. Try to stay away from the allure of the fast food places, as they can hit your body hard with the saturated facts and unnecessary carbs. Going to sleep too early can lead to waking up too early, throwing the whole routine off.

If you have the time, take an interval training class once a week. It will boost your metabolism just enough to get you through the next couple hours. If a class isn’t feasible, listening to some music on the commute home — something that you really enjoy — can be a big boost to get keep your charge going without going overboard so close to the end of the day.

When you’re taking it to the limit, make sure that you have the foods and vitamins with you to make it happen for you. There’s nothing which can replace the value of having good nutrition on your side. The biggest thing to remember is to just keep moving.

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