9 Ways to Keep General Conference from Becoming Nap Time
One of the best things about Conference weekend is being able to eat a loaded breakfast, curl up on your couch, or relax into a padded seat, sit back with a snack, and spend four hours each day listening and absorbing the wisdom of spiritual authorities.
However, there has never been a Conference weekend when I haven’t gotten a little too comfortable and fallen asleep during a talk or two. Let’s make this the session when we don’t fall asleep. Here are the best ways to try to avoid falling asleep this Conference:
1. Get Creative
Research shows that giving your eyes a break from the TV, or working on other projects while listening, can actually help you stay awake longer and increase listen skills. Doodling, coloring, or working on your latest knitting project might be something to look forward to while listening to General Conference.
2. Make it a Competition
Another study showed that taking a ten-minute walk can increase your energy for up to two hours. Staying physically active in between General Conference talks will help keep your heart rate up and boost your attentiveness.
3. Work the Leverage of Bribery
Candy can be a great incentive for kids (or adults) that struggle to focus on the meaning of the talks. At the end of each talk, ask questions about who spoke, what the talk was about, or personal thoughts about the talk. Any kind of reward helps to provide a stronger purpose for concentration. A little sugar doesn’t hurt to keep your energy up either.
4. Invest in Scotch Tape
Heightening your senses is key to staying awake. One way you can do this is massage your muscles or use your hands to lift the skin of your face. A lot of nerves run through the frontal part of your head. Pulling back and holding your skin can help to stimulate those nerves and wake them up.
5. Make a Game Out of It
There have been plenty of games made specifically for General Conference. Printable mix-n-match pictures of the authorities and spiritual topics, Coloring pages and word searches, and even a downloadable “Guess Who?”: Conference Edition. If all else fails, slug bug will always keep you alert.
6. Take Speed Naps
Just resting your eyes can help you to stay awake longer. A power nap should last at least 15-20 minutes. Taking a quick nap right before the first session and between the two sessions should assist in keeping your eyes open for a longer period of time.
7. Let There Be Light
Your body is regulated by an internal clock that is stimulated by natural daylight. Thus, opening the blinds, or curtains certainly brightens things up and reminds you that it is time to wake up.
8. Just Keep Drinking
Drinking lots of cold water or munching on a small healthy snack every hour is sure to keep you awake. The sharp chill of refrigerated water keeps your brain alert because it is constantly preparing the body to eat and working to help your body bringing down its temperature.
9. No Pain, No Gain
Studies have shown that acupressure has helped full-time students stay awake during long class hours. This includes squeezing on high stimulation points like the skin between the forefinger and the thumb, behind your earlobes, and the bottom of your feet. Try it for yourself.
Have any other suggestions for staying awake during conference? Have you tried any of these tricks? Let us know in the comment section below.