As an entrepreneur, you know that you need energy. As Aristotle once said, “The energy of the mind is the essence of life.” We need our mind to be sharp, which requires getting proper sleep and rest. And in a perfect world, we would all get our 7-8 hours of sleep per night. But let’s be honest, sometimes it just absolutely is not an option. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do something to get some of that energy back; because you can!

Energy Boosting

The problem of not getting enough sleep goes deeper than entrepreneurs, too. We are a nation that is becoming sleep deprived, as we have a million other things we need to do, and only so many hours to get them done. But as an entrepreneur, it is essential that you have energy in order to cope emotionally, think logically, and act in the best interest of your company and goals.

Here are 6 ways you can give yourself a quick energy boost the next time you are feeling a little sleepy:

● Skip stretching. Rather than going for stretching, do the opposite. Tighten up your muscles by scrunching everything together (even a nice yawn is okay here) and s-l-o-w-l-y relax your muscles. Doing this will release neurotransmitters, which will help to bring back your energy.

● Speed nap. No, don’t run for the nearest bed on this one. Instead, just hold an object in your hand, that when dropped to the floor will make a loud noise. Now, sit back, relax, and let yourself nod off. Once you dose off and the object slips out of our hand and hits the ground, you will be back and ready to go (perhaps with your heart racing a little, but still).

● Drink water. Having enough water in the body is essential to having energy. It keeps your blood from having to work as hard and keeps nutrients (which provide energy) steadily flowing through your body. Plus, the more hydrated your bran is the more alert it becomes. Drink lots of water.

● Play a game. When you sit at your desk doing boring, repetitive things for hours, it can become a real drain on your energy. Take a break and do a quick online game that requires some thought. That will surely wake you up!

● Super fast workout. For this, do 10 push-ups, but not the way you are thinking. Instead, take a full five count going down to the floor and another full five count coming up. The key here is that you do this slowly. Your arms should be shaking by the 4th or 5th push-up. And by the 10th one, you should be physically unable to do another. This unexpectedly intense workout takes a whopping 100 seconds and will get your heart beating fast and your energy cranking.

● Coffee. I mean, duh! If you are not someone that drinks beverages all day that contain caffeine, then you can use coffee as a quick energy boost. The caffeine will surely give you a quick jolt and help you get through the rest of your day. Just don’t load it up with a bunch of sugar, or you will end up crashing.

Energy Finds

Because it is not possible to always get the amount of sleep we should be getting every night, entrepreneurs need to find some things that will work for them. These are six things that work to help me get back some energy and keep plugging along. You need to determine what works for you. Whether it is playing some fast-paced music, splashing water in your face, or taking a quick walk around the block, find something that helps you get that energy back when you need it the most.