A 20-minute power nap desensitizes negative emotions and boosts alertness when you can't sleep at night. Find a quiet room, set an alarm, breathe deeply until you fall asleep, then give yourself a minute to wake up before getting back to work.
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We all know the benefits of getting a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, when things don't go according to plan, we can't get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. On those occasions, taking a power nap might help you with your stress level. A clinical study found that people who stay awake throughout the day become progressively more sensitive to to negative emotions. In contrast, those who take an afternoon nap are desensitized to the negative emotions, yet more responsive to positive ones. No wonder many high-tech companies offer sleeping pods as an added benefit to their employees. While the study gave participants the opportunity for 90 minutes of sleep, most experts, they agree that if you want to have a quick jolt of alertness, vigor, and/or decreased fatigue, All it takes is 20 minutes. If you find yourself dozing off in the work afternoon, rather than potentially making mistakes that will bring you stress later, consider the following: find a quiet room, set your alarm for about 20 minutes, sit or lie down and close your eyes, breathe deeply in and out, until you fall asleep. When your alarm clock sounds, give yourself another minute or two to fully wake up before returning to your work.
