Career Flux - workplace

8 Tips To Stay Awake And Focused While Working Late At Office

When it gets late and there is a lot of work that’s pending, it’s human to get bored or feel sleepy. However, this can greatly impact the quality of work and effect your productivity as well. Thus, it is absolutely essential to stay focused while working whether you are working late or not. Here are some tips that can help you to stay awake and focused while working late:

1. Don’t keep the work for later:

If you are working late, it is but natural to feel tired and postpone finishing the job. However, it’s not going to help your productivity because with time, your energy levels will go down and finishing the work will become even more difficult. The best way to deal with this is to prioritize all the work and then complete it based on the list. Don’t give in to laziness. It is also advisable to make a time table to chalk out a plan of action.

2. Drinking cupfuls of coffee:

Caffeine has always been one of the best solutions to staying awake in the night. Every office has a coffee dispenser so you can treat yourself to endless cups of it. However, if you have a cafeteria that is accessible at all times, try to drink a shot or two of espresso. Espresso has higher quantities of caffeine in it which makes it a better alternative to regular coffee. There was this one time when I had a shot of espresso in the afternoon and I had trouble falling asleep even in the night. So, caffeine is a tried and tested method of staying up late, be it for studying or working.

3. Washing your face with cold water:

Another great alternative for keeping yourself up and about when working late is to wash your face with cold water after every half an hour or so. The colder the water, the better the effect. Splashing cold water on the face helps in restoring focus and drives away sleepiness even if it is for a short while. If you can, splash some cold water on your hands and feet as well. It will help you to feel more relaxed and attentive when you work late.

4. Don’t think about going home or the outside world:

When you are alone and working, it is normal to think about what the rest of the world is up to but don’t do that. The more you think about the fun your friends and family are having at home or outside, the more you will delve into self pity which will affect your productivity negatively. Also, you will waste a lot of time by thinking about a million different things which will in no way help you to finish the job at hand. In fact, it will further distract you so instead of channelizing your thoughts on everything you are missing out on, utilize that time to finish your work.

5. Walk around when you feel tired:

Whenever you feel sleepy or distracted, get up and stretch yourself. Walk around the office to break the monotony of sitting at one place and working. If you concentrate on something for long, chances are that you will feel tired and sleepy so try to shift around in your seat if you don’t have the option of walking around. Better still, you can stretch your arms and legs in your chair to snap out of the stagnation.

6. Avoid sugar based drinks or food:

Sugar gives instant energy upon consumption but the energy is short lived. Sugar gets converted to glucose very quickly which is why it gives a sugar rush but when the rush ends, people tend to get overpowered with sleep and fatigue so avoid eating or drinking foods which have a high sugar content. Even though it initially helps, the help is short lived.

7. Take small breaks:

Taking frequent breaks is a great way to keep your body alert and focused. Take a 15 minute break after every 45 minutes. You can read, listen to some music, visit some social websites, call your friends to talk to them and basically divert your mind completely for that duration. If you have your peers working with you, engage into friendly banter with them. Breathers can help to relieve you of tension, stress and fatigue and make work more productive.

8. Take a power nap:

Whenever you feel overwhelmed by work and very sleepy, take a power nap. Power naps are basically small 10 or 15 minute naps that people can take while working. It’s a great way of providing some instant energy which can last for a few hours.

This post is written by Steve Mcdaniel and his one of the most popular articles is easy jobs that pay well.

Filed Under: At Workplace, Guest Experts Tagged With: At work, Job, Work, workplace

Getting Through Your Probation Period

By Adam C Leave a Comment

Author Byline: Adam C is a London, UK based copywriter and has given sound workplace advice in this article.

If you take on a permanent role at a company, it is highly likely that you will be asked to complete a probationary period before you are taken on permanently. The main aim of the probationary period is to check that you are right for the job and that you and the company are a good fit together. If you get through the probation period, you will often find that you are granted a raise at the end of it. So how can you make sure you get through this period?

Adapt To New Situations

It might sound like common sense, but the best thing you can do is try your best to be good at the job. Show up on time, make sure you go to all of the meetings you are expected to attend, make an effort to form good relationships with your colleagues and show that you are willing to learn. Your employer is unlikely to expect you to be perfect at your job straight away, but they will be looking at your ability to adapt to new situations.

Be Communicative

If you are having any difficulties with new aspects of your work, make sure you tell your supervisor. This way, you can get things sorted as quickly as possible and move on, rather than continuing to struggle and possibly affecting your performance review at the end of your probation. Your boss would much rather you asked them if you have problems rather than keeping it to yourself; it helps to show you value their opinion and that you are open to new ideas.

Accept Challenges

Another good tactic for getting through your probationary period is to volunteer for any important projects that may come up. As you are new, you might not be selected but it’s good to show that you are willing to get involved with different aspects of the job and that you aren’t afraid of a challenge.

Listen To Your Mentor

If you are offered a mentor for your probation period, take advantage of this. They can provide a great insight into how the company works, what it does and how you fit in. They can also provide you with assistance if you get stuck or have any problems, so make sure you utilise their wisdom.

Be Enthusiastic and Shine

Above all, be enthusiastic – and professional. You have been hired because the employer thought you were the best person for the job. The aim of the probation period is for you to prove that. Think of it as your chance to shine and you should get through it just fine.

This post is contributed by Total Jobs, a leading job site that currently offers a variety of job vacancies from jobs in IT to jobs in security.

Filed Under: At Workplace, Guest Experts Tagged With: Job, Work, workplace

5 tips on how to get promoted

By Adam C Leave a Comment

Author Byline: Adam C is a London, UK based copywriter and has given sound workplace advice in this article.

Getting promoted is a goal that most of us have, but it can be hard to know exactly how to go about it. After all, there can be a fine line between chasing opportunities and being annoyingly pushy, so it does take some care. It also takes planning – before you get promoted, you have to prove why you deserve to progress, so make sure you budget for the time this will take.

1. Become fantastic at what you do

Firstly, being good at what you currently do is a reliable sign that you’re ready for more. If your boss knows that you’re amazing at your job and that you can do it consistently well, it will reflect well on you. You’re unlikely to be able to move onwards and upwards if you’re still mastering part of your current role, so get your head down and learn it inside out.

2. Take on extra work to make you shine

Being willing to take on extra work is also a good way to get noticed by management – but make sure it’s worthwhile work that will stretch you and be valuable to the company, not just extra admin to fill the time. Ideally, you want to show that your talents go beyond what you do already.

3. Be a team player

Playing nicely with others is another key component of getting promoted, as all the best leaders are great with people. Prove that you can work well with your colleagues and promote the interests of the team – not just yourself. Outstanding individual contributions are likely to be noticed, but they’ll be worth much more if you achieve them while also doing well in team situations.

4. Prove your commitment to the company

If you want to be promoted, the company you work for needs to know that you’re committed to them or else as far as they’re concerned, any money they spend on you could be a waste. Find a way to signal your intent to stay with the business, such as by developing long term growth strategies or taking ownership of projects with several years still to run on them.

5. Be up front about your intent

Finally, being clear about what you want can help you land that promotion. If your boss doesn’t know it’s what you want, they won’t know to consider you when opportunities come up. For instance, you could let them know in a review meeting that you’d be interested in a chance for progression. That way, even if there’s nothing currently available, they’ll be more likely to keep you in mind for next time.

This post is contributed by Total Jobs a leading job site that currently offers a variety of job vacancies from environment jobs to construction jobs.

Filed Under: At Workplace, Guest Experts, Salary And Perks Tagged With: Boss, Job, Work, workplace

Will Gen X Pass On The Baton Or Will Gen Y Snatch It?

By Sandy Leave a Comment

The workplace battle has already begun. While Gen X claims its right to retain power on the war front…er…work front, Gen Y wants the control of the mahogany desks for itself. Throughout history, sections of people have been grouped according to nomenclature based on different factors like cast, color or creed. The latest addition to this list is based on generation – starting from Baby Boomers, going onto Generation X and Generation Y. The sound of mortars and shells is growing louder now as Gen Y has just crossed over to their 30s. Gen X doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to hand over the baton of management over and Gen Y is not shy of hiding its intent on snatching it from their hands.

I came across a well researched and informative article on the subject titled “Gen Y @ 30: charmed, tech savvy and ready to take over” written by Lorna Edwards in The Sydney Morning Herald. Lorna interviewed six smart Gen Yers, just starting into their 30s and has given us valuable insight about these ambitious professionals who are ready to take over management control in the workplace. Edwards tells us that the Gen Y generation members mean business and that “they are far better educated and more globally aware and technologically savvy than any generation before them”. While the article is based on the impressions of Australian Y professionals, it pretty much reflects that generation’s ideas on a global level.

The Baby Boomers are busy finding ways to deal with vanishing or diminishing old age pensions or social security money. There is also the realization that they have a longer life span now thanks to medical advances. So while they take care of their own problems, the battle rages between Xers and Yers. Edwards rightly suggests that Gen X might be facing a “Prince Charles Syndrome” in the sense that instead of getting the reins of management over from Boomers, they are seeing a fierce aggression by Gen Y to dethrone them even before their coronation. Social researcher Mark McCrindle, author of generational tome The ABC of XYZ is quoted as saying, ”The gen Yers really do offer a compelling case to take over the leadership.” Gen X then has a right to ask if it is fair for them, especially since they burnt ‘midnight’s oil’ to bring things to advancement. Yers are not buying any of that and are riding hard on their technological ‘horses’.

Gen X, no doubt, worked very hard to bring the world on the technological platform that we see all around us today. Actually, they were caught on the cusp of the ‘pre-technology’ and ‘post-technology’ stage of civilization. On the other hand, most Gen Ys opened their eyes when the technological horizon had already dawned. So, the different way of thinking should not come as something strange. One of the interviewees, Kathleen Walker rightly points out that “it’s important that each generation does look at the ways in which they’re doing things differently and … the ways in which they make an individual happy”. Another interviewee David Woodruff is gearing for the long haul “maintaining that 30 is not a significant occasion when you intend to live past 100”. Well, Gen X has many of their own years to live longer too. Hence the tug of leadership war, as they want Gen Y to tow the lines a little longer.

It is increasing looking like that scene at a three storied apartment building. On the top floor, some youngsters (Gen Y) are partying late on a weekend and disturbed by the noise, some middle aged residents (Gen X) on the middle floor are calling out to them to tone it down while on the ground floor, the elderly (Baby Boomers) are muttering at both! But seriously, which way is this war headed? Hard to say at this stage as the deciding factors could truly be global factors like the violent shakeups of global economy, more technological advances and changing social norms. However, age old wisdom suggests that if the passing of the baton is smooth, the relay race will produce winners. For such a scenario, both the front runner and the back up one have to read, understand and respect each other’s moves during transition. Else, the baton might roll away on the track to the chagrin of both Gen X and Gen Y.

For complete text of the informative article by Lorna Edwards visit:

“Gen Y @ 30: charmed, tech savvy and ready to take over” by Lorna Edwards – The Sydney Morning Herald