There is nothing quite like trying to stay awake when you are tired at work. It can affect your mood and more importantly, productivity.

To combat this, we tend to turn to sugary energy drinks and soda or coffee. However, research has shown that there are actually four major chronotypes – which is reflective of how your body’s internal clock functions.

Not everyone is an early morning riser. Some have more energy and are more productive at night. Others have a post-lunch dip that can drastically affect your work during the day.

So, leveraging your body’s natural rhythm is essential to maintaining the energy that you need, it’s also an easy way to hack your life. Aside from that, there are several ways to boost your energy that don’t necessarily need to come from a sugar-filled energy drink. While those might work in the short term, they can cause the inevitable crash.

GetVoIP took a look at these chronotypes as well as 20 ways to naturally boost your energy levels.

Chronotypes

Dolphin

This type wakes up tired at around 6:30 AM and has waves of energy throughout the day. The best focus time for dolphin chronotype is 3 – 9 PM.

Lion

The lion is up at around 5:30 AM and has a lot of energy right at the start of the day. But, by the time night comes, they get tired fast. Since they have more energy to begin with, their prime focus time is 8 AM – 12 PM.

Bear

They wake up at 7 AM and will be especially groggy if they don’t get their full eight hours of sleep. The bear is most productive from 10 AM – 2 PM.

Wolf

These night owls are mostly mentally “asleep” until about noon. They become much more productive at night.

Boosting Energy

GetVoIP also outlined ways to boost your energy. These are some of the best/most surprising takeaways:

Breakfast.

Starting with a hearty, protein-filled breakfast is very important.

One thing that you might not be aware of is the energy-boosting power of lemon-aid. It can boost your metabolism by up to 30%, and also includes energy-boosting potassium.

Cold showers, however hard they might be to take, can help boost dopamine levels. Having low levels of dopamine will deplete your energy.

Working Out and Drinking Water.

Although this might sound counterintuitive, working out and breaking a sweat at lunchtime can help you stay energized for the rest of the day.

If you do workout, however, it is incredibly important to keep yourself hydrated. Dehydration is actually one of the top causes for feeling fatigued throughout the day.

For those who are heavy drinkers of caffeinated beverages like coffee, soda, or energy drinks, keeping hydrated is even more important because they can be a diuretic. It is recommended that you drink at least one extra cup of water for every cup of coffee.

Snacks.

Try to avoid food that are high in carbohydrates. If you want a snack, try to grab salmon, kale, avocado, bananas or nuts. Pumpkin seeds have also been found to be rich in protein, fiber, and energy-boosting amino acids.

Unexpected Energy.

Did you know that a brisk walk in an outdoor park with some greenery can improve your mood – which can also improve energy by oxygenating your brain.

Listening to your favorite song can trigger a rush of dopamine, which, like the shower, also activates energy.

One of the most surprising is that researchers in Hiroshima University found that after showing a group images of cute animals, their energy and productivity went through the roof. So, maybe all of those cute cat videos from YouTube are actually worth it!

You can learn about more about how to get more energy on GetVoIP.

About The Author

This article was written by Reuben Yonatan, founder of GetVoIP, a leading VoIP provider comparison resource. As an entrepreneur and tech enthusiast, Reuben’s expertise is in helping small to mid-size business owners build, maintain, and scale their communication infrastructure.