Recharging Your Batteries

Keeping a constant high level of activity is tough, especially if you need to be alert at work, on stage, and in the studio. You really don't want to get addicted to something high-priced and illegal, but you need to keep going when you are totally out of it. Here are a few ideas to keep yourself moving when you'd rather just nap out.

DO A LITTLE DANCE

Just getting up and moving around gets oxygen into your system. This is probably the cheapest and healthiest wake-me-up, and why some workplaces have started putting small gyms near their break rooms. Go for a quick walk to somewhere you need to go anyway, give your bathtub a good scrubbing, or even go for an actual jog if you are more athletic. If it's messy out, put on a little music and do a few jumping jacks or bust a few moves around the room until you get a little short of breath. If you really can't go far or do much, head for the restroom, shut yourself into a stall so you don't freak out your co-workers, and shake out your arms, legs, and body for a few seconds. Try slowly lifting your arms above your head then lowering them a few times, and then head back to work. You may find you are suddenly much more clear-headed, and able to get back to what you wanted to do before you started to nap out.

HAVE A COFFEE BREAK

I do mean a break, here. Sometimes the occasional bit of caffeine can help, but try not to make a habit of it-it gets expensive, especially if you have a weakness for Starbuck's. A quick walk to the soda machine or coffee/tea maker, a cup of that, cocoa, or even just plain water can help. Often we are actually just dehydrated, and even something without a stimulant in it will make us feel more awake. For a short-term boost, you can also eat or drink something sweet if you can afford the calories or sugar, and a B-vitamin if you have them. Iron can help, too, but if you take one of those on an empty stomach you are just asking to get sick, so make sure you have one for breakfast, to help avoid later in the day sorts of crashes like you are having right now.

A POUND OF PREVENTION

The easiest way to not feel tired is to never get that way. Make sure you get a quality night's sleep, using a fan and/or darkening the room to drown out distracting sounds and lights that might draw your attention to something besides dreamland. Exercise some an hour before bedtime so you feel like crashing-housework is great for this, and will make you feel better, too, as well as be a great workout. Eat nutritious meals, and include a daily multivitamin-a generic Centrum-type knockoff is great, and a cheap energy source, especially on those days when you might be stupid and forget to eat. Drink plenty of water, and add something to it if the taste really bugs you. Depending on my mood, I sometimes like a little apple cider vinegar, a teeny bit of grape juice, or, if my tummy acts up, a spoonful of baking soda mixed in if the water tastes funny, just to get me to drink it. If you are a singer, having a dry or tired throat makes it really tough to sing, so keeping your throat happy means you can deal with those late-night studio sessions better. Watch the beer and other alcoholic drinks, too-they just make me want to take a nap, period. Use those after you drag yourself safely home, to help you sleep if you think you still need something, not make them give you more incentive to snooze off behind the wheel on the way home.

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