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- Get some sunshine. If you’re toiling beneath artificial light all day, use your 10 minutes to get some sun. First, getting outside can be refreshing. Second, a few minutes of sunlight has concrete benefits. It helps the body produce vitamin D, which is important for good health. Sun exposure also boosts serotonin levels, which can improve mood and help you sleep better at night.
- Take the stairs. Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, says, “Going up and down stairs for 10 minutes is a great way to get your heart pumping.”
- Have a coffee break. It’s no secret that coffee will perk you up. It’s no secret that coffee will perk you up. But David Leopold, MD, recommends espresso specifically. Dr. Leopold
- Do a crossword. When you’re feeling burned out, focusing on a different sort of mental task for a few minutes can help boost energy. Plenty of Web sites have free crosswords, and some newspapers offer cheap monthly subscriptions for online versions of their puzzles.
- Stretch yourself. Tanya Edwards, MD, medical director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, says, “Stretching helps fatigued muscles that have been stuck in one position.” t may also increase energy by decreasing muscle discomfort.” If you can, sneak off to the break room, but you can also stretch at your desk without attracting too much attention. You can do this by sit down in your chair and stand up repeatedly without holding the arms.
- Make a smoothie. 8 ounces of skim milk or soy milk, a bit of fruit, and some crushed ice to thicken it up. You can also add some fiber and a little healthy fat with one or two tablespoons of wheat germ or ground flax seed.
- Try guided imagery. To boost energy, take a virtual vacation while sitting at your desk. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Then imagine a peaceful place. It could be someplace you’ve been before -- the beach or the mountains. Once you feel fully relaxed, gradually ease yourself back into the present. Count to three and open your eyes.
- Read a poem. Reading is a great way to get a quick break from your humdrum day. So focus on poetry. Keep a good anthology at your desk. Read one or two and mull them over during your 10-minute break.
- Walk. Experts recommend a minimum of half an hour of exercise a day. So all you need to do is take a few more 10-minute walking breaks and you’re done. As you walk more, you’ll get faster. You can use a pedometer to keep track of your progress.
- Avoid the vending machine. Although sweets and carbs might give you a temporary energy boost, it won’t last. Choose a snack with some protein, which will give you longer-lasting energy.
- Write in a journal. If you’re like a lot of people, you’ve started and abandoned (and restarted and re-abandoned) a diary before. But begin a new one with the intention to write in it only 10 minutes a day. You might find that keeping a journal – and the self-reflection it requires – gives you a better perspective on your life and job.
- Laugh. Laughing does have health benefits. Although the evidence isn’t clear about this assertion yet. Either way, there’s no denying that laughing can make you feel better. You can deliberately seek out something that you know will make you laugh -- watching a few clips on YouTube or reading a favorite blog.
- Use cold water. he Romans used to invigorate themselves by plunging into the frigidarium, a cold water pool. Without being quite so drastic, you can get a quick energy boost by just splashing cold water on your face in the bathroom.
- Go for green tea. Good old black tea is fine too, but green tea has some specific benefits, says Leopold. It has the highest levels of antioxidants -- like EGCG -- that might support health, possibly lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
- Try aromatherapy. Some people believe that the smells of certain essential oils -- like peppermint, lime, and grapefruit -- can boost energy. You can choose to close your eyes and breathe in the scent from the bottle. Or use a spray to spritz the room. It is important check with your officemates before you start scenting up the place.
- Listen to music. The right music can really change your mood, and doing some prep work can help. Come up with a list of the songs that always seem to psych you up, and then make a mix or playlist of three on your computer or MP3 player.
- Have some chocolate. Chocolate is itself a mild stimulant, and it has lots of other possible health benefits too – from boosting memory to lowering cardiovascular risks.
- Consider a supplement. Sure, there are lots of energy-boosting herbal stimulants out there, but Dr. Leopold recommends a different approach. Dr. Leopold says, “Herbs like ashwaganda, panax ginseng, or rhodiola are not stimulants, but they can help the body deal with stress, which can cause fatigue.”
- Unleash some feng shui on your desk. Admittedly, organizing your desk might not sound like an energy booster. But really, working on a surface that’s cluttered with paperwork, sandwich crumbs, and empty coffee cups can really sap your spiritual strength.
- Eat breakfast. We should not be too busy to eat breakfast. Eating breakfast has long-term benefits too: Studies show that people who skip it have a higher risk of gaining excess weight.
- Breathe deeply. Deep breathing can relieve stress when you’re feeling burned out. The method developed by integrative medicine expert, Andrew Weill, MD., involves sitting down, keeping your back straight and inhaling through the nose while you count to four. You should hold your breath while you count to seven then exhale deeply through the mouth, counting to eight.
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