“The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to produce outstanding results.”
- Anthony Robbins
Find yourself striving to stay awake in the afternoon? You’re not alone. For many people, getting past midday drowsiness is a daily struggle — one that demands a cup of coffee, a stroll around the block or even a handful of M&M’s.
This drop in energy is not just in your head — it is a physiological response from your body. Your circadian rhythm, or your body’s natural clock, slows down in the afternoon, making you feel sleepy. And tiredness only intensifies if you didn’t sleep enough the night before, or had a lunch that was especially high in fat or calories.
Fortunately, there are some things you can do to reduce the slump’s frequency and shorten its duration once it does start. Try these strategies:
1. Drink your water.
Even if you are simply working behind a computer screen all day, your body still uses water. So don’t wait until you get that thirsty feeling in your mouth. By that point you are already dehydrated, which can impair your physical and mental functioning. If dehydration is one of the factors attributing to your afternoon slump, you now are experiencing both a brain slump and a body slump. To prevent this, keep a bottle or glass of water within arm’s reach so you can easily sip it all day.
2. Get caffeinated.
Caffeine is an efficient (and safe) way to wake yourself up — if you don’t use it all the time. People who have several cups of coffee or sodas a day become immune to the stimulant, so you should limit your afternoon intake to a 125 mg serving (approximately one eight-ounce cup of coffee). Any more and you may have trouble falling asleep at night.
3. Eat lunch every day.
Too many of us think we’re too occupied to stop for lunch and don’t recognize that the resultant midday slump will impact our productivity and attention span. You don’t need to have a heavy meat and potatoes meal at noon every day, but make sure you eat something. Avoid eating while you work at your desk; take a break for lunch even if it’s only 20 minutes.
4. Take a short break.
Stand up and stretch. It doesn’t have to be big and showy, accompanied by a loud yawn. Just get up and turn around, shake your feet unobtrusively and flex your fingers. If you can’t leave the office, sit back and breathe deeply to relax yourself and increase your oxygen intake. Stretching will get the kinks out of your neck and shoulders and increase your blood circulation.
5. Get moving.
If possible, go to the gym and exercise during your lunch break. Otherwise, go for a walk outside, take the stairs or hand-deliver a memo to another department. Get the blood flowing in your body; it will increase your metabolic rate and decrease your drowsiness.
6. Change tasks.
Boredom can exacerbate any drowsiness that you’re already experiencing. If you can’t trade the project you’re working on for one that’s more engaging, take a 5-minute break, preferably away from your desk, so you can return to it feeling refreshed.
7. Interact with coworkers.
Strike up a conversation at the photocopy machine, go to someone’s desk instead of sending an email or throw a stress ball to each other if your work area allows it. Interacting with people, within reason, can make the day go faster, and having a few laughs together can improve everyone’s mood.
8. Get some shut-eye.
Siestas are popular around the world for a good reason: a short power nap is one of the best ways to fight fatigue. If you work from home, have an understanding employer, or are a stay-at-home parent who can arrange for someone to watch your children for a little while, aim to sleep (or even just to lie down) for 15-30 minutes. Don’t forget to set your alarm clock: doze any longer and you risk entering a phase of deep sleep that will cause you to feel drowsy when you wake.
9. Get more natural light.
Optimize the amount of light you’re exposed to during the day. Walk around outside instead of using the elevator from the parking garage. Try to rearrange your work surface so you can see out a window. If possible, turn off the fluorescent light above you and use a desk lamp instead.
10. Have a snack.
An apple or yogurt are good choices for a quick pick-me-up. Steer clear of chocolate bars or sugary donuts. Although they create a quick boost in energy, your blood sugar levels will drop even faster afterward, and you’ll feel more tired than ever.
11. Splash your face with cold water.
Just like your morning shower wakes you up, washing your face will refresh you. Try splashing a little cold water on your face and you might banish your lethargy. Often, just washing your hands will make you feel less sleepy.
12. Turn down the heat.
Working in a cooler environment keeps you alert. Warm surroundings evoke the physical sensations and mental images of sleep. However, if your colleagues start shivering, keep your hands off the thermostat and take a good look at your wardrobe choices. Remove your jacket after lunch and avoid wearing a sweater, turtleneck or heavy polo shirt.
13. Try meditation.
Meditation is great for rejuvenating your body. By meditating for 20-30 minutes twice a day, you’re keeping your body continually energized. If you do run into the afternoon slump, meditating for a quick five minutes can immediately re-energize you.
Physiologically, when you meditate, you go into a state that’s similar to deep sleep. Your heart and breath rates and vital signs are lower than the normal state of sleep, so in effect, you give your cells and your body a tremendous amount of rest in a very short period of time. You may even find that you require less sleep at night since you are giving your body a well-needed rest twice a day.
14. Listen to some music.
Music can energize you, but choose what you listen to cautiously. Some music can actually weaken your system and fatigue you. Hard rock, for example, can make you feel jittery, but classical and light jazz played softly in the background can be soothing and stimulating.
15. Handle negativity.
Negative people and images can have a draining effect on your energy. Conversely, if you spend the day surrounded by positive people and images, you can feel energized by them. Make a conscious effort to stay positive even when others are negative around you.
16. Focus on your plans after work.
Write down your remaining tasks so that you can clearly see at what time you’ll be leaving. Take a moment to think of what you’ll be doing in the evening so you have something positive to think about. This could be picking up your spouse to go see a movie or simply getting together with buddies for a few beers. Whatever it is, it’ll help you get out of the rut. In return, knowing that you have to leave work at a certain time will likely help you be more productive.
When you find your energy lagging after lunch, do something about it. Make some long-term health and lifestyle changes, as well as some quick changes in your workday habits, and you’ll overcome the midday slump. You’ll be happier, more productive and less tired!
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What To Do When You SUCK
October 20, 2007
try take some cellular energy boosting nutrients and sugar balancing stuffs…
The ideas you outline here are great….but they tend to not work that well — try boosting your cellular energy and balance your blood sugars.
Try some co-Q10 , l-carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, and b-vitamins. Occasional glutamine can also help boost your mid-day out to normal. Combined with a few cups of green tea and you will be ready to work all day!
October 20, 2007
Number 15 seems to work well for me. I tend to feel more drained when my time is consumed by negativity. I have a couple of colleagues that are generally positive and add a boost to my day. I make it a point to seek one of them out when the afternoon slump sinks in. Actually, going to them takes care of number 5- get moving.
October 20, 2007
[...] Re-Energize: How to Get Past Your Midday Slump [...]
October 24, 2007
Great post. I just want to say I really like your style of writing – it’s very clear and easy on the eyes. I use many of the suggestions you give here to get myself out a slump. The best for me are getting away from my task (outside in the sunlight if I can), also listening to music while writing, drinking water (or caffeine if it’s needed).
I especially like the meditation. I felt so funny at first to go into my office break room close my eyes and ignore everyone. But you know what? It really worked. To help drown out conversations, I’d use an MP3 player with some guided meditation or soothing music. After 15 minutes I’d feel totally revived. Works every time!
November 11, 2007
[...] http://ririanproject.com/2007/10/20/re-energize-how-to-get-past-your-midday-slump/ [...]
February 13, 2008
[...] How to Fight Fatigue Morning & How to Get Past Your Midday Slump ? [...]