I don’t know about you, but I think the Spanish and Mexicans got it right with their afternoon siesta. Never having been to either Spain nor Mexico (not for want of trying though!) I can’t ascertain the truth of whether businesses do shutter at high noon, to enable everyone to take a quick nap before they get back into the swing of things.
Personally, I’d like that!
For most of us who work, our days start at any time from 6-7am when our alarms go off, and we rub our bleary eyes before we wake up and rejoin the rat race. So, by the time the clock hits 12 noon, we’d have been up and about for at least 6 hours, and I think that calls for a break!
It doesn’t help that that’s when we break for lunch, and what with the heat and full tummies, and just low batteries, we find ourselves hitting that afternoon slump at around 2pm. So how do you beat that?
I don’t know about you, but I often find myself quite useless in the hours between 2-4pm. Now, don’t go tell anyone. It might destroy my credibility LOL! 😀 But it’s between these hours of the day that I find myself being a zombie, and operating almost on auto-pilot as my energy levels drop like a stone.
So, where possible, I arrange my meetings for the mornings, when I’m much more alert, and keep the afternoons for more mundane things. Well, unless of course it necessitates me using the ol’ grey matter, when I’ll find some way to keep my eyes open and my brain cells functioning.
But you know what? I’ve found one almost sure-fire way to beat this afternoon slump, and it’s not something you’d like to hear, but here it is.
Exercise.
As much as I detest the notion, I’ve found that getting active actually makes me get over that zombie-state of being, and makes me function better. I think it is to do with the fact that when you force your body to move, it boosts your endorphins and that makes you feel better. Also, for some strange reason, it actually helps me feel more energetic, and I function better as a result.
What I try to do therefore, is slip in a quick short walk/run on the treadmill, just enough to get the heart pumping. This seems to wake me up and once I’m done, I stay woken up. Other times, I do a short session of yoga. Although not strenuous like walking/running, the stretching and bending gets the blood flowing and makes you feel a little more alive as a result.
If you work from home, Tine has shared a tip that incorporates short breaks for exercise and while I can’t say that I’d be able to keep to that, I like the idea of taking a break and slipping in a short exercise session. You will find that it helps you actually function better, and might even help reduce stress levels.
But what if you don’t have the luxury of slipping off to the gym or rolling out your yoga mat? Goodness knows, sometimes, we’re trapped behind our desks, sleeping with our eyes open.
Well, go for a walk then, or get out of your chair and do some quick in-situ stretching. You can try slipping away from your desk for about 10-15 minutes, and just get the blood flowing. Sometimes, I just take a walk around the building, or just get up and get moving. This is what I think is key to beating the mid-afternoon slump – moving, so you raise your heartbeat and get the blood flowing, instead of having it moving sluggishly through your body as you sit at your desk.
Not eating heavy lunches help too, but I’ve also found that even if I eat a light lunch, I often get hit by that slump anyway. I think it’s just our body’s way of telling us to take a break. We’re not machines after all, and we can’t just function for over 6 hours at a stretch at full speed.
As for coffee? Don’t even go there. I’m an insomniac so while coffee will jumpstart the slumbering engine, it keeps it running long after I should be in bed, and that’s another problem I don’t want to have!
How do you deal with the afternoon slump? Have you tried incorporating exercise?
I actually stumbled on using exercise to beat the afternoon slump a little by mistake. I was slipping into a semi-comatose state at my desk, when I decided to do something productive instead of sitting there reading and re-reading a passage multiple times without understanding anything. Much to my surprise, I found that after my quick session at the gym, I felt better, more awake and suddenly, everything I was reading made sense. So, the next time you’re starting to feel comatose between the hours of 2-5pm, get up, get moving and see if that doesn’t make you function better! 🙂
Paris B
LeGeeque says
February 24, 2016 at 9:16 am1. Not a heavy lunch is a key. I save my pub lunch for Fridays where afternoons are usually a write-off anyway 😛 ‘Straya 😛
2. I go for an extra long walk over lunch if the weather permits. 4-5km and I walk very very fast. It helps clear the head and the frustration built-up from the morning so I’m ready to face the afternoon.
3. Go for a drive. I’m lucky that I’m practically 30s from the freeway and going home during lunch takes me only 10-15mins max. I do that sometimes. I walk the furball, I get the dishwasher going, I can get the washing machine going, I can set the robot to vacuum again (clean floor nazi). Doing those mundane tasks help me reset my brain.
Paris B says
February 26, 2016 at 2:35 pmGetting out of routine is definitely one good way to break the energy sapping loop. Also, I think warmth is more conducive for snoozing, and as you know, it’s hot here, so zzzzz……..
Tine says
February 24, 2016 at 9:22 amWhen I was working in an office, I used to drink a lot of water in the afternoons because that means it’ll force me to go to the toilet. Even though the loo isn’t far, I still had to walk up and down 2 flights of stairs and it’s a great way for me to get up, stretch, and walk. A splash of water on the face works well too!
Paris B says
February 26, 2016 at 2:35 pmHahahhaa Yes yes I do that too – drink lots of water. At least having to walk to the toilet gets me up and moving!
Isabel says
February 24, 2016 at 10:25 amI can share what to avoid to try and beat the afternoon slump la
1. Eating sugary stuff at lunch or to try and get a perk-me-up when the eyelids want to follow gravity! I used to do that and the sugar would give me a quick peak and then … OMG…. lagi teruk!
2. Go out in the hot, scorching sun at lunch and then coming back to an nice, cool office. For some reason, that extreme change of temperature puts me into snooze mode …
Light lunches like salads don’t cut it for me because I do have a higher than average metabolism rate and feeling hungry is just as annoying and distracting as feeling sleepy. So I eat to fill my tummy but try to concentrate on more proteins than carbs. I find that that does work for me. But long pub lunches on Fridays …. YES! 😛
While I don’t do my exercise in the mornings, I do get my exercise a couples of times per week in the evenings . I find that does help with keeping me alert and refreshed overall. When my classes go on a break, my body immediately feels more lethargic throughout the day.
Also, doing some deep breathing works for me as well. I think that as the stress pile up, we can end up having shallow breathing and that leads to kekurangan oxygen to the brains. So taking a few deep breaths can make a difference.
I’m pretty sure different things work for different people though.
Paris B says
February 26, 2016 at 2:37 pmThanks for sharing your tips Isabel! You’re so right about sugary lunches and heat. In fact, my office used to get quite warm occasionally (like when the weather is horribly hot like it is now) and I find that I’d start feeling sleepy. Warmth is so conducive to sleeping isn’t it? A cold office often makes for more productivity I feel Haha!
xin says
February 24, 2016 at 11:24 amlike tine, i will try to drink more water so it will force me to walk to the loo. sometimes i try munching on something to stay awake, but if all else fails, i will just close my eye for 10 mins to recharge XD
Paris B says
February 26, 2016 at 2:37 pmOh yes, munching on things, but I try not to – that’s what makes the weight pile on, unintentionally! 😛
Fiona says
February 24, 2016 at 11:52 amBut but…you have bag of Chanel goodies in front of you 😛
As for me, exercising makes me even more tired and sleepy 😀 :D. Usually after my morning run I need to take a nap. It has become a bad habit that I’m trying not to nap after my run. So straight to the computer to work. I’m working from home too and I have been quite discipline with my work schedule. However since Sephora is like 10 mins away from me, I tend to sneak out to the mall for a coffee and a quick window shopping lol.
Last time I used to leave to work by 5.30am so I got off work by 4.30pm as I get very sleepy by 5pm. I’m useless from 4.30m onwards lol
Paris B says
February 26, 2016 at 2:39 pmHahaha Trust me, when the afternoon slump hits, Chanel or no Chanel I wanna just zzzzz….
I remember you told me you’d be up and out by 5.30am which I salute you for. That’s about the time that I’m in deepest sleep, I think! I think the warmer weather now isn’t helping, coz I’d get tired in the afternoons regardless. Doesn’t help when the air-conditioning isn’t cold enough to keep you awake!
Michelle says
February 25, 2016 at 8:41 amI sleep during lunch. 😛 I pack, like I think you do, and after I finish eating in 10 minutes I usually doze for 15-20 minutes.
Sometimes if I am feeling truly terrible at 2-4 pm I slip away and take a 5min power nap in the toilet 😛
Paris B says
February 26, 2016 at 2:41 pmHahaha Thanks for your candour Michelle 😀 Yes I used to pack lunches too, which actually helped me stay awake because I won’t eat as much carbs and I don’t have to go out where it’s hot as that saps energy as well. As another reader as pointed out, changing temperatures can play merry hell with our energy levels! But when all fails, a quick nap does the trick – better than suffering for hours on end, trying to keep your eyes open