How many of you have walked into work in the a.m. only to leave when it’s pitch black … and it’s not even 5:30 p.m.? It can be tough on motivation, and allow a late-afternoon slump to derail your training. But guess what: your competition isn’t taking days off. So to keep your edge you need to combat the sluggishness by adopting a plan to up your energy levels. Start with these six tips …

#1. Don’t Hit Snooze

If you set an alarm prepare to get your groggy butt out of bed when it sounds. The brain and body are conditioned to settle back into sleep mode after you whack the snooze button. Problem is, the second time the alarm goes off you’ve essentially tricked your body, and the surprise can leave you feeling even more groggy than before. Expertsrecommend getting up at the same time each day, so leaning on the snooze here and there does more damage than you think while providing nearly no benefits to helping you feel refreshed.

#2. Eat Breakfast

While there is no evidence that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day — it’s a hot topic among experts — feasting on a morning meal can help spike hormones. If you have tried eating breakfast but end up crashing, tinker with what you’re eating. Data published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition found that meal rich with carbohydrates and fiber created more alertness in the timespan between breakfast and lunch.

#3. Stay Hydrated

A 2012 study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that even moderate dehydration can cause energy levels to dip and mood to nosedive. When your mental performance skids, your motivation to hit the gym won’t be far behind.

#4. Take Breaks

Consistent movement improves blood flow and oxygen. If you can make an excuse to walk around — talk to someone instead of sending an email, take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc. — it’ll help you energize, opposed to staying in your chair and getting sucked into an impromptu nap. A 2014 study following a group of highly productive workers using the app DeskTime, a time-tracking and productivity service, found that the top 10 percent of the workers followed worked for 52 minutes before taking a 17-minute break.

#5. Give Yourself A Jolt

Avoid a mid-day slump with a P4 workout supplement. If you plan to train within 45 minutes, down Pre-Game Formula. Each serving provides you with a caffeine jolt as well as beta-alanine (strength and power), creatine (muscle growth), and tyrosine (cognitive performance). Another option: Energy Formula. It’s like Pre-Game sans the beta-alanine and creatine, and also promotes energy and hydration via caffeine, electrolytes, and a fast-digesting carb loader.

#6. Reevaluate Your Sleep Hygiene

Poor sleep quality and not nabbing seven to nine hours of quality sleep per night can affect you dusk till dawn. However, most of us don’t hit the seven-to-nine hour mark. A 2013 Gallup poll found that only roughly 40 percent of Americans reach the recommended goal. Aside from feeling lethargic, chronic sleep deprivation has ties to depression and hypertension. A few things you can do are keep the room dark to promote sleep, choose a pillow that supports your head, neck, and upper back, and clean your sheets. The National Sleep Foundation reports that more than 70% of their data suggests sleeping on a fresh scent equated to better sleep.

Proven4 workout supplements — Pre Game Formula, Energy Formula, and Recovery Push Formula — all feature the NSF Certified for Sport logo on the packaging. This tells you, the consumer, that every claim on the label has been verified by a third-party testing source and that all products are banned-substance-free. In other words, if the ingredient appears on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances, it is NOT used in P4 supplements.