Coping with day-time world
In general, it's damn hard to cope with an active day schedule. But this world forces us to do so. There are, however, certain things that we can do to make it easier to bear.
The first problem is, of course, the light. Our eyes tend to better suited for night, and bright lights, including both sunlight and fluorescent lights, usually hurt our eyes, causing headaches and tiredness. What can be done about this is to wear sunglasses, preferably polarized ones, when you're outdoors. I think that sunglasses shouldn't be used when indoors, no matter how bright it were. Two reasons: People tend to think you weird, and, more importantly, you'll get used to sunglasses so that you have to wear them all the time.
If you're working with computer, I recommend that you move away from a computer screen at least once in a hour, outside if possible. I know there's the sun, but you can always wear sunglasses there, and getting some clean air works wonders. (Not to mention getting away from those terrible fluorescent lights.) And speaking about computers, remember that yours most probably has modifiable light and contrast. It doesn't need to be so bright. (Everyone always wonders how can I do anything when my computer screen is so dark, but I can see fine and it doesn't hurt my eyes. Well, color shades are not so easily seen, but it doesn't matter.)
The sun brings more problems than just the light. Somehow, it has a weakening effect on most of us. I'm not going to theorize why now, just talk about what can be done about that weakness. (Tips about how to stay covered from the sun are found here.)
- Make sure you get enough vitamins and trace elements. Take supplements if you need to. Vitamins help the body stay in good condition. Also, if you don't have enough some trace elements, it can, among other things, weaken your skin so that you'll burn very, very easily, and make you even more photosensitive. Remember vitamin D, because you most likely don't like to stay in the sun where most of it is gotten. (There are at least to be found those supplements which are given to very small kids...)
- Try to supplement yourself in the day with an energybar or nuts or some other nice protein snack. Try not to just snack on candy or chocolate. It will most probably make you feel even worse, because they're not enough long-term burn for your body. You'll need extra energy to function in what is "off" hours to your body.
- Try eating multiple small meals during the day rather then one large meal at lunch. It's easier on the body and may help you absorb and make better use of your energy.
- Take a nap now and then. About 20-30 minutes, not more. It's enough that you'll get a bit of rest, but not too much that you'll feel groggy and worse. I don't know if it works for everybody but at least there is no harm in taking a nap.
Then there's the worst of the worst: waking up early. It's hard to give any advice about this. Only thing that I can think of is: Try to get as much sleep as you can. I know it's hard when you come alive at night. And don't always listen what doctors say about sticking to exactly same schedule. If you feel better for it, revert back to your "normal" schedule during weekends - sleep on days rather than nights. Then Monday morning will be like hell, but a few well-slept nights (or actually days) are worth it. And then there's one more thing: Don't become a caffine-addict! Days are terrible enough as they are, who would want to need a cup of caffee every other hour, or suffer even more, in addition to that misery?
I think I have covered the most important points already, but naturally there are still some which are recommended to normals too.
- Take small breaks now and then. Throughout the day, stop, stretch, stand, walk, whatever you need to do to move yourself away for a moment. Take a 15 minutes break in the morning and in the afternoon in addition to lunch hour.
- Meditation and focused breathing techniques. These can work wonders if you're stressed. Learning to step back, breath, and regroup yourself can greatly improve your ability to function throughout the day. Also, doing it before you sleep can help improve your rest and increase your ability to make the most of your sleep.