Signs of an iron overdose include severe or bloody diarrhea and vomiting, fever, sharp stomach cramps, bluish lips and fingernails, rapid breathing, fast heartbeat, and seizures. Other causes for concern include rash, swelling, numbness or tingling, and trouble breathing. Call emergency services or get to an emergency room if you experience any of these symptoms while taking iron supplements. While black stools are normal and are a sign the supplements are working, they shouldn't have a tarry appearance. See your doctor if you experience tar-like stools, which are serious and could indicate intestinal bleeding. Constipation is a common side effect, but medications can help. Use an over-the-counter stool softener, or ask your doctor if they recommend a prescription-strength medication. Take your medication according the package's instructions or as directed by your doctor. Tell your doctor if you experience persistent nausea, cramps, constipation, or diarrhea. Ask them if you can take a lower dose or switch to an iron supplement in another form. If altering your dose isn't possible, ask them to recommend medication to relieve your specific symptoms, such as an anti-nausea or anti-diarrheal drug. If you haven't been taking your iron supplement with a meal, doing so could also help relieve side effects. Liquid iron supplements can give teeth a blackish tinge. To prevent stains, mix the dose with water or juice, and drink the beverage through a straw to minimize contact with your teeth. To remove stains, simply brush your teeth with baking soda or rinse your mouth with 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Summary: Seek medical attention if you experience serious side effects. Take a stool softener if you experience constipation. Ask your doctor about lowering your dose if side effects persist. Drink a liquid iron supplement through a straw if it stains your teeth.

Stretching and twisting your body can help improve blood circulation, which helps keep you awake. Rolling your head/neck for about 20 seconds can help as well. Massaging any of the following points will improve circulation and ease fatigue: The top of your head. Lightly tap it with your fingertip or use a scalp massager. The back of your neck. Back of your hands. Right between the thumb and index finger is best. Just below the knees. Earlobes. Just because you're sitting down doesn't mean you can't use your muscles. So exercise at your computer, or get up every once in a while and stimulate some blood flow to keep you alert. Try simple exercises like jumping jacks, push-ups, crunches, and squats. Don't push yourself like you do in the gym; instead, just exercise enough to get your blood flowing and keep your coworkers from noticing your strange behaviour! Stay on your feet as much as possible. If you're sitting most of the time, get yourself up every 20-30 minutes. If you need any motivation to stand more of the time, consider this: people who stay seated for less than three hours a day add almost two years to their life expectancy. If you have to sit down, get the most uncomfortable chair you can find. Try not to sit in anything that will make you sore if you stay there. Make sure the back is upright, forcing you to sit up very straight. Don't allow your head to rest on anything your hands, the desk, the wall. Some people take a short walk to re-energize themselves. It's generally thought to be a good distraction, especially if you're sitting in front of a computer screen all day long. Any paperwork that may be pending which you have to carry to your colleagues or a manager (like signing a cheque or documents), keep aside. When you feel sleepy, take it to the person for signing (or any other action). Upon returning to your desk, you'll feel more awake again and you'll have been active. Studies show that taking short breaks from work actually helps your productivity. So if you're worried about missing that deadline, don't stress! Walking breaks will help you. (You can let your boss know.)

Summary: Try stretching. Use acupressure. Exercise in the office. Take a short walk.

Make a record of all the tasks you need to accomplish. The list should include both short-term tasks you need to finish daily and weekly, as well as long-term goals that may take months or even years to accomplish. Seeing it written down will help you plan out the various actions needed to meet all your goals. Put this list on paper. Even if you use your phone for all of your other lists, from groceries to birthday wishes, don't put this list on there. The act of writing out your tasks is key to thinking through how to finish them. Use a planner to schedule your time. Write short-term tasks in daily or weekly lists that include deadlines for each item. Set deadlines for long-term goals by listing them in monthly entries. Include everything you need to get done in your planner. Say that on Friday your final biology project is due. Set aside at least three nights to finish it. You've also got to go to the pharmacy and pick up a new toothbrush and vitamins before you leave for vacation. Do this on Thursday night. You're also taking the SAT in a month, so spend at least three hours this week practicing vocab. Try using a strategy like the Eisenhower Box for prioritizing your tasks in an efficient way. Basically, you categorize all you have to do into four categories: tasks that must be done immediately, tasks that can be done later (or rescheduled), tasks that can be delegated to someone else and tasks that aren't important and can be eliminated. The strength of this strategy is that it works well with the tasks you must complete in a given day, but also on longer timescales, like weeks or months. Multitasking makes you feel like you're accomplishing a lot, but it actually prevents you from finishing tasks quickly and effectively. Keep your attention on one goal at a time, and give it your all. This will also help you avoid getting overwhelmed by your busy schedule. It's hard to stay away from distractions and do your work on time when you're doing it alone. Luckily (or unluckily), everyone struggles with procrastination. Ask a friend or family member if they'd be willing to partner up with you to check in on each other's work habits and accomplishments. You can plan fun outings with your buddy to reward both of you when you meet your goals. If you keep procrastinating, cancel these events as a little bit of punishment.
Summary: Write a to-do list to set goals. Prioritize different goals with set deadlines. Avoid multitasking to focus on one goal at a time. Get a buddy to keep you honest.