Top 3 Natural Ways to Stay Awake

Juniper Terrones
Nov 6, 2019
3 min read

Midterms? Finals?! Or maybe that project that you waited till the last minute to do? Here are my top 3 ways/foods to keep you awake WITHOUT caffeine.

As a recent grad and current intern, I can tell you that not much changes from student life to post grad life. SHOCKER. There are still days where I forgot to work on a project or maybe I'm trying to get ahead because I know I'll foil myself. But I don't always like resorting to coffee. It feels heavy and the crash is never fun. Somehow coffee just makes me feel more tired like I'm forcing my body. LOL "like" no I definitely AM. So here are some tips and tricks I've learned over the years.

1) KOMBUCHA

LEMME TELL YA, this wonderful drink right here is the best wake up call you can get. It's like if war heads was your alarm clock, but just a tad bit more pleasant. Usually when I'm studying or working and I notice myself drifting or just staring out into space as I usually do, I take a sip of kombucha and perk right back up! Since the drink is fermented and bubbly it gives a really nice zing while also loving your tummy.
My favorite brands are GTS and Health-Aide. I used to drink GTS chia synergy religiously, but I think they've discontinued the chia seed line which really upsets me. Now my go to is the Guava Goddess by GTS. My favorites from Health-Aide are the Pink Lady Apple and the Tangerine-Passionfruit.

2) BLUEBERRIES

Blueberries are a great snack in general with all of the antioxidants they carry. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but when you have a whole pack of blueberries, there are ones that are nice and sweet, and ones that are not so sweet and can act like tart popping boba. When I'm doing some heavy reading or note taking, I keep a bowl (or the entire box) by my side, and just casually pop them in my mouth whilst I go.
Typically I'm not looking at the bowl when I pick them so it acts like a BLUEBERRY ROULETTE while I'm studying. One minute I could be blissfully enjoying the berries and the next POW! I get a tiny punch of sour. Since I'm not expecting it, it's a nice surprise and pick me up that keeps me alert throughout my work.

3) POPCORN

Not just ANY popcorn! My go to? Plain popcorn with just extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. The crunch from the popcorn is a really nice audible way to stay awake. Not only that, but I dare you to fall asleep comfortably with a popcorn kernel stuck in your teeth.
What makes this super easy is that people have already done it for you; plenty of brands have pre-popped popcorn which you can find in the chip aisle. I tend to spruce my popcorn up with some infused EVOO, I'll typically do Basil or Rosemary infused. Some brands that sell the olive oil and sea salt popcorn are Simply7, Smartfood, Trader Joe's, and Abound (CVS).