Hey monkeys, gonna be starting my analyst stint this summer. I was wondering for those who have been working long hours, what have been your best methods for maintaining mental and intellectual sharpness? Any snack tips, or just shit you should be doing throughout the day to sustain a clear mind working 14 hours a day to all nighters?
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Vitamins, Caffeine (+ L Theanine/B12) and lots of water.
I'll look into L Theanine
dexedrine
Bump? Anyone else have some tips?
Jack off at least 5 times per day
People have differing opinions about this, but if you are in a group where it's fine to take 45-60 minutes around 8pm to go to the gym, makes "resetting" for the rest of the night easier.
This can get thrown off depending on urgency of deliverables / fire drills, and some people would rather work straight through and get home earlier instead, but I think that taking the break to reset usually makes me a lot more productive and I'd probably get home around the same time regardless with a lot more of my sanity intact if I can get a workout in a couple nights a week.
That's awesome advice, will definitely try to put it to use
Eat clean and as often as you can. Avoid soda and drink a shitload of water. I would snack on trail mix throughout the morning if things were slow enough. You never know when you have to grind for 2-3 hours straight, so it is always good to have something in the tank. As tds2006 said below, working out at night is a great way to break up your day and give you a boost. I actually cut back on my caffeine intake (never took adderall or any other goodies) while working my longest days (14-17 hours). Might sound weird but on those days the pressure and urgency worked as a natural stimulant and the coffee made me crash too much. I would usually sip on 1-2 cups throughout the day.
Troll wso daily
As someone else mentioned, fit in a workout. I personally run for about 35-45 minutes 4-5x a week in the afternoon/evening to stay energized and focused. I started doing this in my first year of banking (I realized that not working out was making me feel very tired/constantly exhausted, etc.) and haven't stopped since.
Try intermittent fasting:
I do not eat breakfast (only a coffee) and usually go for a large salad or a clean chipotle bowl for lunch at around 12:30. Then I often have sushi as a dinner at around 7pm. I rarely am hungry or tired from food while staying in shape.
Eat clean, drink more water than you could imagine, find time to get outside during the day, find good music playlists that stimulate focus & concertation and perform some type of exercise 3-4 times a week.
Have you tried the triple treat? Pour Red Bull in your eyes, eat coke and snort Adderall. Works magic, as long as you don't have anything on your calendar for the rest of the day.
Just "one bump".
-Mr. Chow
Dip and Monster is my dynamic duo
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