SINGAPORE, July 27 — Stress is ranked as the leading health risk among working professionals in Singapore, followed by a lack of physical activity and insufficient sleep, according to the findings from a 2015/2016 Global Staying Work survey by advisory company Willis Towers Watson.

With so much to do and so little time to rest, how can we get out of this rut and improve our productivity while retaining our sense of well-being?

Try sleeping on it first. The prerequisite to a productive day is an adequate amount of sleep, which most people do not get enough of these days, said Khoo Sue Anne, principal clinical psychologist from the Department of Psychological Medicine at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

Sleep is when the brain consolidates the memories and skills acquired during the day, said Dr Leow Leong Chai, consultant at the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine at Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

"Many important ‘housekeeping’ processes for the entire body happen during sleep, such as healing, growth and replenishing energy stores and chemicals for the next day,” he added.

Up and at ‘em

If you’re sleep-deprived, hitting the snooze button in the morning is unlikely to help you feel more refreshed. "Relying on the alarm clock to wake is a sure sign of insufficient sleep. Those who manage to get an extra few minutes of sleep (upon hitting the snooze button) may experience more sleep inertia, or ‘sleep drunkenness’, on waking,” said Dr Leow of SGH.

The best way to wake up refreshed is to get at least seven to eight hours of quality sleep the night before, he said.

Eat within an hour of waking. Having breakfast early helps regulate insulin and blood sugar levels, according Bibi Chia, principal dietitian at Raffles Diabetes and Endocrine Centre. It also kick-starts your metabolism and raises energy levels.

Waiting too long may intensify hunger, which may result in you choosing foods that are high in calories. Even if you have no appetite for a full breakfast, Chia advised having some light food like yogurt or a glass of milk.

The American Council on Exercise says an early workout is more likely to help one stick to a more consistent exercise routine. Better still, exercise outdoors. "Exposure to light, especially natural morning light that is rich in the blue wavelength of the spectrum, regulates your internal body clock each day. This helps our body know when to feel awake or sleepy,” said Dr Leow.

About 45 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise in the morning may rein in the urge to eat more, according to a 2012 Brigham Young University study. Regardless of timing, it is important to fit exercise into your daily routine. The Health Promotion Board recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week.

Mind over matter

Mid-mornings or late afternoons are best for tackling mentally-taxing tasks as people tend to concentrate and focus best then, said Khoo. The ideal work environment for tasks that require a high level of mental alertness is one with an ergonomically-appropriate work station that allows one to keep the back and neck straight, and shoulders relaxed. It should also be relatively quiet or have a consistent background noise that does not disrupt thoughts, and you should also experience minimal interruptions.

Avoid the post-lunch slump by eating food with a lower glycaemic index (GI), which refers to how quickly blood-sugar levels rise after consuming carbohydrate-rich foods.

"Low-GI food increases blood sugar level slowly, releases energy slowly and prevents the sugar level from dropping too rapidly. It helps us feel full longer and keeps us energetic,” said Chia.

Eating too much causes your blood sugar to spike, so follow the "healthy food plate” portioning, she added. Filling half of your plate (approximately nine-inch wide) with colourful vegetables, a quarter of it with wholegrains such as brown rice and another quarter with lean protein such as fish and tofu.

SGH’s Dr Leow said the body’s circadian rhythm — a 24-hour cycle that regulates sleepiness and alertness — causes most people to feel more sleepy at around 2pm and 2am. A 30-minute power nap after lunch can help, but a longer nap can be counterproductive as you may feel "sleep drunkenness” upon waking, he added. A cup of coffee after lunch can also help beat the mid-afternoon slump, he said.

But make it your last cup of coffee for the day. According to Chia, caffeine has a half-life of up to seven hours. If you consume 100mg of caffeine at 2pm, half of that could still be in your system by 9pm.

Productive pauses

A study from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shows that even brief diversions can improve focus significantly for about an hour. Another recent study from Kansas State University has also found that short smartphone breaks can enhance employees’ sense of well-being.

"When it comes to maintaining concentration and alertness, it is best to have breaks that allow our brains to recharge,” said Khoo.

According to her, most people are usually able to focus fully for between 45 minutes and about one-and-a-half hours. Taking a short break — between a few minutes to half an hour — is recommended. Opt for physical activities such as stretching or even just getting up from the chair and walking to the water cooler. Alternatively, switch to less mentally-demanding tasks like routine administrative work or breathing exercises and meditation, said Khoo.

To maintain alertness, a light, healthy snack like yogurt, nuts and seeds, fruits and wholegrain crackers works well too, added Chia.

Shut-eye time

Having a large meal before bedtime can affect your sleep as your body is preoccupied with digesting food. Have your last meal of the day two to three hours before bedtime, said Chia.

If you are still hungry, have a light snack 45 minutes before bedtime. As foods containing amino acids, tryptophan and carbohydrate induce sleepiness, the best before-bedtime snacks are those containing carbohydrates and protein, said Chia.

Examples include half a cup of unsweetened cereal with 150ml of low-fat milk or two crackers with cheese.

Contrary to what you may think, logging on to social-media sites before bed may not be a bad thing. A study from the University of Queensland’s School of Psychology has shown that active social media participation may provide users with a greater sense of connectedness and meaningfulness.

But too much artificial light from electronic gadgets is a sleep saboteur. "Exposure to blue wavelength (also found in man-made light) in the evening can confuse our body’s internal clock and delay the secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin, resulting in insomnia or a delay in our sleep and wake times,” said Dr Leow.

Turn your device’s screen brightness to the lowest setting or use the night mode that cuts down on blue-spectrum light. But it is still important to log off two hours before bedtime and refrain from using any electronic devices in the bedroom, said Dr Leow. — TODAY