Productivity 102: Fuelling Your Work
Water? Canned energy drinks? Coffee? Energy formulas? Nootropic supplements? Over the years, I’ve tried them all. Here’s my experiences on each, my thoughts on them in general, and what I would recommend.
JOHN NICHOLS
MARCH 5, 2021
Productivity is a series where I’ll go into all the tips, tricks and knowledge I’ve learned to make the absolute most of your time spent working – so you have more time for the fun stuff!
To read the other entries in the series, see below:
- Productivity 101: Flow States and How To Get Into Them
Note: this post is not sponsored, nor am I being compensated in any way. These are purely my experiences, and what I find works for me.
Coffee is a staple of the modern office. Whether it’s instant, from a cafetière or from a dedicated coffee machine, no office is complete without the waft of a fresh roast permeating the air. However, is your morning cup of Joe the best choice available to help you focus?
Let’s look at what I’ve tried over the years, in the order I tried them in.
Canned Energy Drinks
Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar. The classic colourful cans admired by every 16 year-old – myself included.
I drank Monster religiously from the age of 14 right the way up to my university years. Whilst the average 500ml canned energy drink does contain about 160mg of caffeine, it also contains an average of 60g of sugar, with the inevitable sugar rush causing the dreaded crash.
The high sugar content also makes canned energy drinks rather unhealthy to consume on a regular basis. I was drinking a can of Monster a day for several years, and I can distinctly remember the odd headaches and strange feelings in my stomach that I’d get from time to time.
Did they help me focus? Yes – but come university, I wanted something healthier.
Energy Formulas
G Fuel, Sneak, GG Energy. Marketed as a healthier alternative to the cans, and usually aimed towards gamers or creatives specifically, this fuelled my first two years of uni, plus a short stint recently.
Sold in powdered form and mixed with water (similar to protein shakes), these formulas often tout additional benefits through the inclusion of vitamins and antioxidants, and are often sugar-free.
These energy formulas tasted much healthier than the canned energy drinks – less like a can of chemicals and closer to something natural. The slightly reduced caffeine content eliminated any jitters, whilst the water base served to hydrate, rather than leave me thirsty. No sugar also meant no crash!
Although both G Fuel and Sneak were much better for me health-wise than Monster, I found both to be… lacking. They just didn’t give me the same focus kick, and drinking a 400ml shaker (or several!) and not getting the same level of energy I was used to previously led me to look elsewhere.
Coffee
You know what this is, and I couldn’t have got through my final year of uni without it.
Countless nights in the library working on my dissertation were fuelled by copious amounts of coffee. There’s something about a piping hot, fresh cup of coffee that makes any workspace feel that much cosier. Add a little honey and I’ll struggle to turn one down.
The high amounts of caffeine were ideal at the time – hell, I still enjoy an good espresso to this day – but multiple cups a day quickly led to a dependency. Without the caffeine in my veins, I simply couldn’t focus and became incredibly tired very quickly. Once my dissertation had passed, it took a painful few weeks of no caffeine at all to feel myself again.
Water
Whilst this is the only non-caffeinated option on this list, that doesn’t mean that it should be disregarded.
I’d never been a huge fan of water until about halfway through 2020. It was for health and skin reasons that I decided to start drinking several glasses a day, and as I became properly hydrated for the first time in my life, I couldn’t sit at my desk without a full glass by my side.
When I first started drinking a sufficient amount of water (around 2-3% of your bodyweight) per day, I wondered why I’d left it so long. I was no longer perpetually tired, I felt much better on a daily basis and I was much more alert, ready to tackle any task ahead of me.
Now sufficiently hydrated, and with my general health now all the better for it, I set about my daily commitments with aplomb. However, as great as water is, on its own, it couldn’t keep my brain engaged for 12+ hours a day. My brain needed more than just hydration – I needed to look for a healthy, effective way to enhance my focus.
Nootropic Supplements
The new kid on the block. All natural, all kicking, all screaming, and defined as any drug which is specifically designed to enhances cognitive function.
Also known as “smart drugs”, I first approached these with scepticism – just another snake oil, I thought. However, I first tried one in late 2020, and I haven’t looked back since.
Within 5 mins of my first tablet, I experienced a level of clear focus that I’d never felt before. There’s no rush of energy, no jitters and no bouncing off the walls – just a steady stream of focus that allowed me to knuckle down and concentrate on my work.
MADMONQ – my nootropic supplement of choice – reportedly boosts both memory and stress control, and as wild as that sounds, I can safely say that, at least with the latter, it has certainly helped.
Rather than coffee or energy formulas, which become less effective over time, nootropic supplements actually become more effective over time, as long as you take a break a few days per month – again, an effect which I’ve experience first-hand.
Forget coffee, forget energy drinks – these are in a completely different league. I take these on a regular basis when needed, and I can honestly say I’ve never felt better. It may be a coincidence, but I’ve been sleeping better, working more effectively and have generally felt better in myself since I started taking them.
To top it off, the convenience (and rapid uptake) of a tablet as opposed to a coffee, drink or formula can’t be understated. You can’t spill a tablet all over your keyboard!
My Rankings
Who doesn’t like a top 5? Here’s my order of preference, from 1 (my favourite) to 5 (my least favoured).
- Nootropic Supplements
- Water
- Energy Formula
- Coffee
- Canned Energy Drinks
Personally, I combine the cognitive boost from MADMONQ with good ‘ol water for the ultimate combo of focused energy and hydration. Indeed, the majority of nootropic supplements even advise that you drink water alongside them for optimal benefit.
It probably won’t surprise you to know that I’m writing this very blog post with my bottle of MADMONQ and a glass of water by my side.
Top Tips
First; whatever you choose to fuel your work, consume in moderation. Don’t go above the recommended intake levels, take regular breaks, and consume only when needed. Dependencies, as I’ve experienced, can lead to downright awful consequences, so it’s important to respect the potency of any drink or tablet that you use.
Second; never mix two caffeinated products. Don’t go chugging a Red Bull then immediately downing a coffee – this can lead to terrible levels of jitters. To avoid any crossover, I’d stick to one caffeinated product a day. I’ve only combined them once or twice, and I certainly won’t be doing it again in a hurry!
Third; stay hydrated. 60% of your body is water – you simply need to drink it regularly to function at your best. Neither energy drinks nor coffee can replace plain water. No need for the fancy bottled stuff either – save yourself some money, let the tap run cold and fill your glass from there.
Recommendation
I would implore anyone who is looking for a way to improve their focus to at least give nootropic supplements a try. I would heartily recommend MADMONQ, which I use regularly, but there’s a plethora of other options out there. Combine these with water, and I truly believe that, right now, there’s no better combination out there to fuel your work.