Stay Productive During Overtime with these Great Coffee Alternatives

Project management teams practically live on coffee, especially during the long hours of overtime needed to finish a project. But while a cup of coffee is a great picker-upper, it′s not the healthiest thing in the world to drink (especially not in the amounts we consume). Coffee is acidic, it stains your teeth, and all that caffeine is bad for your heart. And there′s also the crash you get shortly after the cup, which means you have to keep drinking more if you want it (and you) to keep working.

Instead, you can try these great coffee alternatives that can work almost as well, but are much better for you:

Tea

Tea comes in many different varieties, so you′ll be able to try a few flavors out and see which one you prefer best. Green tea and black tea are excellent places to start, as they have good amounts of caffeine, but not as much as coffee. Tea is also known to have cleansing effects on your body, so you can improve your health while improving your productivity at the same time.

Check On Your Team

The next time you feel like falling asleep at your desk, get up and do a walk-around and see how your team is doing. The social interaction will stimulate you into wakefulness, and you′ll be able to help your team members stay awake and focused, too (you′re not the only one working, right?).

Physical Activity

If you′ve got an enclosed office, get up and do a few jumping jacks or push-ups. The physical activity will get your blood flowing and increase your heart rate. If you work in an open space and don′t want people to know what you′re doing, stretch your legs or arms or wiggle your toes. Or you can even combine this tip with the previous one and walk around and check on your team.

Change your Schedule

Working late can play havoc on your body clock. If you find yourself doing that consistently, then maybe you should change your hours to compensate. Flex time is a great way to adjust your schedule so that you can work when you′re most productive, and rest when you′re not: if you′re a morning person, for example, go in to work early and punch out in the afternoon. Likewise, if you work best late in the day, adjust your schedule to compensate. Also, some flex time arrangements let you comp your overtime and make up your hours another day.

What other coffee alternatives do you use for keeping awake? Share them with us below!