Lack of sleep is a plague that haunts many office workers after a pretty exciting weekend. Many who are still hungover with the weekend’s events storm the office, trading working hours with countless yawns and power naps. They end up getting sanctioned or worse, being handed the pink slip. To avoid this pinning predicament, you must know how to tap your reserve supply of energy, so you can go through work productively despite lacking sleep.

Lack of sleep slows down the mind and makes your body feel heavy. Doing any normal office activity won’t do you any good, since you are too preoccupied about having an early bedtime. If you want to counteract such an unenviable state, you should do things that boost your body’s discharge of adrenaline. Coffee, smoking and exercise are the obvious solutions but what if those three don’t work, what will you do? Here are 13 of the best alternative options:

1. Ask a Colleague to Surprise You – Asking someone to give you a surprise may be a strange request, but it is probably the fastest way to bring you to your working mood. Getting surprised speeds up the production of adrenaline, which in turn, generates enough energy to be wide awake for hours. It can come in the form of a simple nudge, an email with surprising content or the good old-fashioned “Boo!”

2. Flirt with Your Office Crush – If there is an emotion that can override extreme sleepiness, it is probably lust. Message your office crush with a set of quirky pickup lines. (Choose which pickup line to use from the top ten best pick up lines) The moment he or she gives a positive reply, engage in a pretty sensual banter until the both of you can’t contain your excitement. Meet during your lunch break then finish off your sleepiness by doing what passionate couples normally do.

3. Apple Juice – Taking too much caffeine can lead to a heart attack. You can keep yourself awake and minimize the risks by downing a glass of apple juice everytime you feel sleepy. Apple nectar contains substances that can stimulate you into action, as if you were drinking coffee. Best of all, the drink is light on your tummy. You will have to travel to the cafeteria from time to time to get your fill of apple juice, which also happens to be a good way to keep you awake.

4. Watch a Disturbing Video – Watching a disturbingly violent or explicit video is a good way to jolt you into action. The eye-opening contents of these clips are usually not made for the faint of heart, which should be enough to awaken a sleepyhead. The best place to catch these videos is on the Internet, since total online censorship has yet to be established.

5. Heavy Breakfast – Eating a heavy breakfast, at first, will make you sleeper than you already are. Once your body digests the food that you ate, you will have a sudden surge of energy that can last you for the entire day. Just be careful with this strategy. Complete inactivity after the heavy meal can add a few inches to your waistline.

6. Annoy One of Your Colleagues – Sleepy as you are, teasing and cracking corny jokes are still available activities, since they entail minimal thinking. Go to an irritable office mate and give him or her a plethora of knock knock jokes and annoying tales. In a fit of rage, your colleague will ask you to pipe down, or else feel his or her wrath. You, on your part, will be too startled to think about hitting the sack.

7. The Hunt for Sexy Pictures on a Social Networking Site – The thrill of seeing a set of beach or bedroom pictures is more than enough to wake up a sleepless soul. Open your social networking accounts and search for gorgeous strangers with sexy pictures. Ogle at the endearing snapshots for a few minutes then watch yourself rise into action. If you still feel sleepy, try messaging those hot creatures en route to a steamy date this coming weekend. (To learn more on the power of this new phenomenon, learn the snazzy uses of social networking sites.

8. Sip Hot Soup Without Blowing – Soup’s effectivity when it comes to rousing you to the working mood is pretty inconsistent. Though, if you slurp the dish without fanning off the excess heat, you will be in for an unpleasant surprise. The sheer heat of what you are eating will make you howl in agony for a minute or so. The moment you recover, you will have enough adrenaline to last you through a double shift. (Create a delicious soup by learning how to cook chicken noodle soup.)

9. Spicy Food Devoid of Water – Eating spicy food is torture for some people. They feel their tongues burn through every bite. As a person who lacks sleep, you can munch on pepper or the spicy garlic paste used in Chinese dishes. The whole ordeal will surely leave you in tears, but right after, you’ll be pumped up to accomplish your hardest tasks.

10. Pump Up the Volume in One Swift Motion – Listening to upbeat or aggressive music is not enough to wake up the sleepiest people. To make it more effective, turn up your music player’s volume to the maximum in one swift motion. The noise will give your body a jump start, which will translate to the swift production of adrenaline. In the end, you will be too roused to feel sleepy, as long as you ride the momentum generated by what you’re listening to.

11. Gum Overload – Giving yourself a sugar rush is not always effective when you only had a couple of hours worth of bedtime the night before. You can build on that tactic by switching your favorite candies with chewing gum or bubble gum. The act of chewing provides additional stimulation, aside from the gum’s sugar content. Be sure to bring a pack, so your supply won’t run out for the whole day.

12. Scream – Go to a place where you won’t be able to disturb your co-workers. Once you have made sure that no one else is around, think of all your frustrations, then let out a loud yell. Scream as many times as you like until you feel your body surge with energy. When you return to your cubicle, you will be energized, as if you had enough sleep the night before.

13. Pull Your Hair – Pulling your hair may seem like a stupid idea until you actually give it a shot. The sensations generated from tugging at your hair can actually stimulate your brain into action. You will have a good amount of energy for an hour or two, so you have to repeat the strategy whenever necessary.

Lacking sleep is one of the biggest problems of both employers and employees in the office setting. Not having enough shuteye clouds one’s judgment and can hamper the productivity of the entire company. Given that the lack of sleep is a pretty normal occurrence, you should do your part as a dedicated worker. Your efforts will be rewarded by a bustling career or an unexpected nomination for a promotion. So take your pick, will it be an early bedtime in the office or the start of your professional legacy?

* If you want to eliminate sleepiness totally then learn how to get rid of sleepiness.