If you’re spending eight or more hours every day in a dark grey cubicle, chances are that you’re going to be feeling fatigued. After all, scientific studies have found that colours can impact our moods. For example, white, off-white and grey have the potential to negatively impact productivity.

As such, infuse your workspace with warm colours like yellow, orange or green. Colour psychologists have found that yellow, which is a stimulating colour that helps us to feel more energetic, is a good choice for creative professionals who need to be innovative. On the other hand, green has a calming quality and helps to prevent eye fatigue, while orange improves confidence and optimism.

One way to gain an energy boost is to have a quick 20-minute workout during your lunch break before having a meal. Some of the easy, low impact exercises you can do from the comfort of your chair include leg raises, tricep dips, glute clenches and shoulder shrugs. Besides helping burn a few more calories, these simple exercises also promote blood circulation and generate endorphins which improve your mood.

Alternatively, you can also take a short stroll when fatigue starts to set in. Walking outdoors exposes you to more natural light than in the office and this helps you to stay alert. Being away from the computer also allows you to clear your mind and refresh your eyes.

Feeling stressed, which is one of the causes of chronic fatigue, is part and parcel of working life. A simple yet effective way to dealing with this is taking deep breaths - yes, it’s that simple! Apart from helping to calm us down, breathing exercises also help provide a natural energy boost that goes a long way to fending off fatigue.

One popular exercise is the 4-7-8 technique. As the numbers suggest, breath in slowly for four seconds, then hold your breath for seven seconds. Following this, exhale slowly and silently for eight seconds. Repeat this cycle four times.

Ginseng: Ginseng is a well-known natural energy booster that helps to lower cholesterol levels and blood sugar.

Mai Men Dong: Chinese herb Mai Men Dong has anti-inflammatory properties that reduces “heatiness”, one of the causes of bodily fatigue. 

Schisandra berry: Schisandra berry has been found to be effective in lowering anxiety levels and improving mental performance.