Every office has that one person; the person who, no matter what is going on in the office or in their personal lives, has the energy to do the job of 10 people each and every day. Most of us aren’t that person. Everyone has high points and low points throughout the day that may be related to personal work rhythms or blood sugar levels. Whatever the case, your work may not wait until you get the next burst of natural energy. So what can you do? Here are a few productivity tips to keep your energy up throughout the day and creative ways to stay focused.

1. Puzzles. Brain teasers and crosswords are a great way to get your brain energized again. Pull out a word search book and work on a puzzle for a few minutes before returning to your task at hand. It shouldn’t take long for something to click and your energy to return after engaging your brain in an active task. Bring a jigsaw puzzle to the company break room and set it up where everyone can add a piece or two when they take a break. That can be a great team building experience and a way for everyone to take a mental break throughout the day.
2. Walk. If you can’t stand to be at your desk for one more moment then don’t. Get up and walk. Are there stairs in your building? Head up a couple floors before heading back down again. If stairs aren’t available go for a walk around the block. Just take 5 or 10 minutes to be away from your desk. It may even help you think through a problem you’ve yet to solve and provide more creative energy to solve it. This is especially useful if you find your task is actually making you angry.
3. Deliver mail. If you’re feeling particularly sluggish or stuck and walking or puzzles just aren’t helping try to combine the two activities by popping into the mail room or front desk and offer to deliver the mail personally throughout the office. This will get your blood pumping by forcing you to walk all over the building and kick start your brain by remembering where each piece of mail needs to go. This also gives you a chance to be social for very short periods of time which is not enough to be a distraction but can help reengage you.
4. Massage. While it would be ideal to invite a massage therapist into the office once a month there are a few ways you can relieve tension in your own body without a trained professional. Gently massage your head, neck, and shoulders with your hands and pay specific attention to the right pressure points. You can also use relaxation techniques to stretch the muscles in your legs and arms and focus on your breathing. Of course, if you can convince your management team to go along with your plan there are plenty of onsite massage therapy groups who specialize in office chair massage techniques.
5. Switch projects. It is very rare that any individual only has one project they are working on at a time. Some businesses consider multi-tasking a virtue even if there truly is no such thing. Our brains have a very hard time processing more than one thing at a time. What most people are really good at is prioritizing. However, if you find yourself stuck on your current project, switch to something else for a little while. Then when you’re ready you can go back to the first project with renewed energy.
6. Music. When all else fails it might be time to rock. You may already listen to a radio at your desk or in your cube but it only provides a pleasant background noise. To really get your blood pumping it is time to put on the most energized music and turn up the volume. If you feel the urge, get on your feet and dance. It will be almost impossible not to smile while you’re having this much fun and after a few songs you should be ready to sit back down and focus.