It’s the premiere of Cirque Du Soleil’s TOTEM in Sochi, Russia. That means it’s the return to ‘evening shows,’ for most of the crew (first time for me). We’ve been used to the early, 10:30 am show-calls after spending a year and a half in Japan. As an early bird, I loved these, and most days I would wake up and go straight to work.
The shows are now at 4 and 8pm, so it’s not realistic to wake up at 6 am anymore. Still, habits are habits, and I find my eyelids drooping around 10. To combat this, I’ve tried a number of ways to stay awake, and thought I would share the best ones. These will come in handy for university, too.
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(1) Caffeine
Sure, it’s a drug. But it occurs naturally right? The most obvious choice, coffee is not only a lovely drink, but it can give you a little boost. Coffee is made from beans, and beans are made from nature. So coffee = natural, right?I’ll admit to downing an espresso or two before a show. Hey, gotta do what you gotta do.
Another option is tea. Black tea has higher levels of caffeine than green or herbal, so if you’re looking to stay awake, go black (extra unnecessary joke removed).
If you’re turning to caffeine to keep you awake, stay away from energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster. Just don’t.
Everyone already knows about this one, so let’s move on.
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(2) Move
Get up and do something with your body for 10 minutes. A brisk walk, a few pushups, a mini-dance session. This will shoot oxygen through your veins, muscle, and brain, giving you a boost for up to two extra hours.
If you can, get fresh air while you’re doing this. A slight breeze will perk you up, activating your senses and refreshing your system. If you can’t actually get up and leave your spot, stand up.
I’ll be investing in one of those standing-desk-converters for school.
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(3) Talk
– to someone. Start a conversation with whomever is around. Call a friend, or even message them on Facebook. Even better if it’s a conversation about something controversial like politics or religion. You may be more likely to perk up and pay attention when it comes to your moral and personal beliefs.
Here are some topics to get you started: foreign policy, the recent election, altering the DNA of unborn babies, communism, crypto-currency, artificial intelligence.
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(4) Shower
A short shower (keep it on the colder side) can shock your body enough to keep you up. You don’t need to blast your body with frigid ice water. A few moments in cool water is plenty. Don’t feel like getting wet? Give your face a couple of splashes, and take a cold towel and run it over your arms and legs, hitting spots like your inner-elbows and back of the knees.
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(5) Food
Food is fuel. I know better than most that what you eat can greatly affect how your feel. Skip the simple sugars like a can of coke or that tempting candy bar. A balanced snack of protein and complex carbs will do you way better in the long-run, not to mention the vitamins and nutrients that you should be getting (especially if you’re pulling an all-nighter).
Also water. Water is your best friend for staying awake. Dehydration can cause you to feel drowsy or fatigued, so grab a glass of water as often as possible. Plus one for ice.
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I don’t recommend utilizing these too often. Adequate sleep is vital to our health and overall wellbeing. Plus, sleep is awesome. But sometimes you just have to stay awake, so in those instances, try a few practices on this list and let me know how it goes.
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1/31 #YearOfChallenge