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Advice / Succeeding at Work / Productivity

The 2-Minute Exercise That’ll Wake You Up if You're Falling Asleep at Your Desk

It’s a common scenario: You feel the post-lunch slump approaching, and you have to decide whether to drink yet another cup of coffee—even though you’re trying to limit yourself to only one or two cups a day—or risk falling asleep face-down at your desk.

Well, there’s hope for all of us who’d like to skip the office sleepies without relying on a caffeine drip. It’s simple: If you can close your eyes, breathe, and pump your arms up and down (like you just received the best news ever), you'll be able to do the exercise—and get the resulting energy boost with minimal effort.

It’s probably best to try this (potentially distracting) exercise in the privacy of an empty conference room, or even a stairwell, but if you'd rather try it at your desk, we say go for it! You may just start an office tradition.


Photo of person standing courtesy of Portra Images/Getty Images.