Let’s face it, we’ve all hit the point where the workload outweighs the time budgeted. You’ve decided the only means to blast through the tasks given is to sacrifice some shut-eye for late-night work hours. While far from preferable, all-nighters can be essential to getting an oversized stack of work done on time.
If something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly. To be productive, stay awake, and survive the next day, follow these 5 simple rules:
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Stay Rested. Sleep is a valuable thing and an important part to staying productive. Don’t go into an all-nighter tired, instead prepare with restful sleep and a nap or two that day. Don’t shy away from power naps, either, as they can quickly refresh a tired and unproductive mind. Be sure to set alarms and keep power naps around 20-30 minutes to prevent the groggy feeling of sleep inertia. This also applies for the day after. Working through the day after without A large nap will ensure restful sleep that night and getting back into a regular cycle.
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Prepare Supplies. Have anything and everything you could possibly need handy. This includes snacks, water, books, paper, utensils, and electronics. The time you spend preparing now will prevent you from breaking away from the job later. Breaks are essential to staying focused, but spending them searching for supplies won’t offer the respite you need.
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Have a Goal in Mind. Setting goals, especially putting them on paper, gives you a single result to work toward rather than a vague idea to explore. Once your goal is set, don’t deviate from it unless necessary.
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Set Aside Time for Breaks. Focusing on a single goal is good, but burnout is a very real issue many people deal with while cramming work. One of the many treatments for burnout is to take very short, timed breaks. Listening to music, checking emails, or writing in a journal are all things to do during these breaks. Stay away from things like social media or browsing media sites if you tend to get pulled into them easily. Spend about 15 minutes per hour of work to refresh your mind.
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Fuel Your Body and Mind. You can never go wrong with a healthy snack and plenty of water. High protein and carb-rich foods will keep you awake and productive longer than sugar-heavy snacks. The recommended maximum daily intake of caffeine is 400 mg, however you should opt for low amounts of caffeine throughout the night. Large amounts of caffeine will make it harder to focus and can cause a caffeine crash before the night is over. Supplement any other beverages you choose with plenty of water.
Follow these five tips and you’ll have a productive night without crashing the next day. An all-nighter isn’t ideal, but sometimes it’s a necessary evil we must face.