by Vanessa Faia

Created on: September 26, 2007

Most of us have been there. The dreaded office meeting that takes place right before our lunch hour. How about the Monday morning Power Point presentation that is conducted with the lights off? We all have trouble focusing on work from time to time, but how do you keep yourself interested enough to stay awake?
Most meetings will take place in the morning simply because managers often like to get business out of the way before the regular work day begins. As the word "ugh" goes through your mind, you grugingly make your way to flourescent lit conference room.

This brings me to my advice...stay away from sugar! Refined sugars such as those in your vending machine can actually make you more tired! Want to really stay awake? Eat protein! Protein has been proven to actually increase your brain's functionality by distributing more "eletrodes". Sugar, on the other hand, can actually cloud your mental focus and make you feel as if you are listening through a tunnel.
So what about caffine? Well yes and no. Caffine does boost energy, however the results are short lived and require more and more to provide the desired effect. Sugar acts the same way, creating a feeling of high and then extreme low in a short period of time.
If you really want to stay focused, try eating cottage cheese rolled up in a turkey slice. The protein will increase your mood and keep you satisfied and awake during those long monotone presentations. Also remember that most meetings are only one hour long, so your misery will not last forever. If you can pick 3 things that apply to your position and write them down, chances are you will remember them in the future. Try to think of how the subject of the meeting would apply to YOU directly. You can get more meaningful meetings by understanding how the content will apply to your job.
So how do you stay focused? Proper diet certainly helps. But you should also be able to identify the purposes of the meeting and how they apply to your daily routine. Following these two ideas will lead to a more productive work experience, and, hopefully, an elimination of those Monday morning blues.

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