No matter how devoted you are to your career, anyone can suffer from the productivity-draining impact of office fatigue. For many workers, there's a time a couple of hours after lunch when you find your concentration beginning to wander, and you start to fantasize about your bed back home.
While sleepy staff members are nothing new, they're a serious problem for the average business. Not only does fatigue damage your productivity, but it can also make employees cranky, damaging relationships between peers. What's more, forcing yourself to focus on an increasingly blurry screen can sometimes lead to headaches and discomfort. The good news? You don't have to rely on coffee to keep you going. There are plenty of simple and effective tools that you can use to combat office fatigue.
1. Give Your Eyes a Break
The headaches that you experience at the end of the day are usually a result of eye strain, which comes from staring at a screen for hours each day. The more you focus, the more exhausted you'll feel. While taking breaks frequently can help to combat eye strain, you can also try a few other measures, too:
Increase the font size on your computer
Blink more frequently
Position your screen 20-40 inches from your eyes
2. Adjust Your Posture
It may surprise you to learn that ergonomics has a huge impact on your energy levels. For instance, slouching places excessive pressure on your spine, which can make you feel tired and lead to lower back problems. That's why it's so important to use a chair with lumbar support. To keep your energy on-point using office furniture, make sure that your arms are fully supported at all times to banish muscle cramps in your neck and shoulders, and support your feet with a footrest if they don't reach the floor.
3. Stay Hydrated
Exhaustion is a common symptom of dehydration. In fact, doctors in the U.K. found that one-fifth of all doctor’s visits are due to tiredness, and dehydration is the cause of one in 10 consultations. It makes sense that hydration would impact your performance, as human bodies consist of around 65 percent water. Keeping a bottle of water by your desk or making sure you take frequent trips to the water cooler could protect you from headaches, lack of concentration, and fatigue.
4. Get More Shut-Eye
Spending more time in your bed might seem like a simplistic way to target fatigue, but it's one of the methods that many of us overlook. Adults should get at least eight hours of sleep a night for their bodies and minds to re-energize and minimize the stress of the day. If you're not getting the sleep that you need at night, then there's a good chance you won't be able to focus properly at work. Even if you do manage to drive through the first few hours, by the time you hit the afternoon, your mind and body will be begging for a rest. If you struggle with your sleeping patterns, try taking steps for sleep hygiene, like avoiding alcohol, removing blue light from your bedroom, or even changing your mattress.
5. Motivate Yourself with Accomplishments
We all have those days where we feel like we're not doing anything right. However, by focusing on your accomplishments (even the little ones), you could banish fatigue for good and enjoy more energy at work. Think about writing down your achievements throughout the day. For instance, maybe you managed to send an email on time, or you've finished off the last bit of a project you've been struggling with for days. The more you look at the list of things you've accomplished, the more you'll give your mind the mental boost it needs to continue pushing forward when fatigue starts to set in.
6. Get Your Blood Pumping
If you already have a standing desk, or an inflatable rubber ball for a chair, then there's a good chance that you'll be moving more throughout the day. However, if you have a standard office setup, then you're going to need to dedicate more time to finding excuses to exercise, or move around at least once an hour. Lack of movement naturally leads to sleep, so the more you can get your blood pumping, the more active your brain and body will feel. Try performing a few stretches regularly from your office desk, rolling your shoulders and curling your toes. Alternatively, find time to get up and walk around the office every so often.
7. Try a Color Boost
Finally, when all else fails, try turning to color psychology for a dose of mental energy. Warm colors like orange, yellow, and red have a more invigorating effect on the mind than colors like green and blue. Try adding bright and vibrant colors to your wardrobe if you can, or bring them to work in the form of pens, notebooks, and folders. If not that, a small picture or plant in a vibrant pot could help you to get the boost you need. The Back Store sells premium home and office furniture designed to meet high standards of health and comfort. Browse our catalog today and let us know if you have any questions.
No matter how devoted you are to your career, anyone can suffer from the productivity-draining impact of office fatigue. For many workers, there's a time a couple of hours after lunch when you find your concentration beginning to wander, and you start to fantasize about your bed back home.
While sleepy staff members are nothing new, they're a serious problem for the average business. Not only does fatigue damage your productivity, but it can also make employees cranky, damaging relationships between peers. What's more, forcing yourself to focus on an increasingly blurry screen can sometimes lead to headaches and discomfort.
The good news? You don't have to rely on coffee to keep you going. There are plenty of simple and effective tools that you can use to combat office fatigue.