Staring at a computer screen for hours on end is mind numbing, especially if you’re employed in the realm of tech. Whether you’re a computer programmer, game designer, digital marketer, database administrator or employed in any other position in the technology field, maintaining your focus and energy is always a challenge. 

When you hit your afternoon slump and find that your next energy drink or eighteenth cup of coffee isn’t giving you the edge you need, there’s a few reasons why you should consider trying something new. But have you ever wondered why simply typing on your computer all day leaves you completely exhausted in the first place? How can simply moving your fingers make you feel so tired?

Scientists have been debating this mystery for many years. There are two main schools of thought, neither of which fully explain why your tech job makes you so tired.

Some scientists believe that each of us has a finite amount of mental energy, which can also be known as self-control or willpower. When our mental energy is depleted, we become tired. When we’re tired we lose focus, our minds wander, and we become significantly less productive. This is usually about the time that many people find themselves reaching for another cup of coffee or a Monster drink, only to realize that neither option helps.

Other scientists simply believe that every individual has a limited amount of motivation to achieve a particular task. While working on our computers we also have a lot of possible distractions with multiple open browser tabs, social media scrolling, email, and more. It can be very easy for you to fall down a rabbit hole and lack the focus for you to stay on task. 

The harder you try to focus the more you may find yourself distracted so reach for that cup o’ joe to get yourself back on track, only to end up disappointed and frustrated. 

Unfortunately, both of these explanations are merely unproven hypotheses, which makes understanding how mental fatigue is connected to physical fatigue difficult. It also makes treating this condition even more difficult, so let’s explore the two solutions most often used (coffee and energy drinks) and why they often fall short.

Believe it or not, there IS such a thing as too much coffee. 

After drinking coffee for an extensive period of time, many people get a high tolerance for caffeine. If you find that you’re drinking five or six cups of coffee and not getting the energy boost you’d expect, drinking even more coffee usually doesn’t make a difference. 

Your DNA may also play a role in how you process caffeine. There are two genes that can cause you to have a tolerance for caffeine, both of which are also connected to your blood sugar and cholesterol. 

Many workers in the tech sector have found VIVAZEN™ to be the perfect alternative to coffee. One of the main ingredients in VIVAZEN™ is Kratom, which is 100% natural and made from plants native to Southeast Asia. VIVAZEN™ is an all-natural drink that is fast-acting and has helped thousands of people to regain their focus. You can find out more about how VIVAZEN™ is a great alternative to coffee here

If you rely on energy drinks to give you the energy you need, you’ve likely found that their effects sometimes fall flat. One of the long-term side effects of many popular energy drinks is fatigue … so having even more energy drinks is counterproductive. 

Energy drinks also contain caffeine just like coffee and your body can become tolerant to energy drinks depending on a variety of factors including your metabolism, your intake, and your DNA.

VIVAZEN has become the go-to energy and focus booster for thousands of people in tech, including Steve T., a software engineer from San Francisco, CA. 

“I would normally start my day with at least two cups of coffee before I even get through all my morning emails. Then there’s online meetings for project review and I find that I’m already feeling run down before I even start my daily programming. Even the slightest interruption or issue would send me spiraling down a path of distractions that no amount of coffee could fix.

Instead of just drinking entire pots of coffee, I decided to try adding some VIVAZEN™ to my first cup of the day and the difference it made was unbelievable. I was able to concentrate on getting through all my pre-programming tasks and by the time I was ready to code I was sharp and felt like I could do anything.”