Company Life

Afternoon Pick-Me-Ups

November 28, 2001

 

Do you ever hit that late-in-the-day slump between lunchtime and your afternoon studio class, when the busy day starts to catch up with you? If tiredness keeps you from feeling productive, there are more options than coffee for giving yourself a quick energy boost. Even if you don’t have a lot of time to recharge between activities, try these research-backed tips: 

Wear red:
 In a study published in Emotion, researchers found that participants who were shown the color red had quicker and more energized reactions for a short period. Try wearing a red warm-up or leo in your afternoon class. 




Compliment a classmate: In a study detailed in Harvard Business Review, researchers found that people who paused what they were doing to give someone a compliment felt an instant boost in energy and mood. 



Learn something: The same study found that people who used a break from work to learn something new felt both their mental and physical energy increase. It was especially successful when they learned something related to their work. Try studying some videos of a variation you’re learning and working on your interpretation. You may feel more energized and ready to tackle your next rehearsal.