How to Get Out of an Afternoon Slump
Written by Leslie K. Hughes
You’re zooming your way through a successful morning that has you on a roll of productivity. You’re whipping through emails, meetings, projects, and more. You’re barely on social media – if at all – because you’re still riding the wave of energy from your morning coffee.
Then, the clock hits 3:00 and you hit a wall. Hard. The thought of sending one more email or hopping on one more Zoom call seems like an impossible feat.
We have all been there.
And some of us experience this afternoon slump every day.
The good news? This is normal.
There is nothing wrong with you getting tired when the afternoon hits. According to the National Sleep Foundation, your circadian rhythm goes through peaks and falls throughout the day and is scientifically proven to drop between the hours of 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
In addition to that, you may have other factors that are stacked against you, making it even more difficult to stay awake this time of the day. Those things could be a lack of sleep, poor diet choices, dehydration, too much screen time, and more.
As much as you may want to curl up and take a nap, we have some better ideas that will make you feel refreshed and ready to tackle the afternoon.
How to Beat the Afternoon Slump
Go for a walk.
Studies show that short periods of physical activity such as a walk are better for boosting your energy levels than reaching for another cup of coffee around 3 p.m.
A walk gets your body moving and is almost like hitting the “reset” button on your brain and your energy.
If your schedule doesn’t allow for a meditative walk, then see if you can take one of your calls or meetings while walking around the neighborhood. This is a great way to kill two birds with one stone and come back to your desk ready to finish out the workday.
Listen to music.
It feels strange to work out without music, right? Have you ever gone to a workout class that was in silence? The answer is probably no, and there is a reason why.
Music helps you get in the zone to exercise and gives you the energy to push yourself at the gym or in your class.
Work is the same. Though you don’t want music that will distract you, listening to music that allows you to concentrate on your work will help keep your energy levels up.
This isn’t just a hypothesis – it’s been proven. A study showed that adults who listened to music tested higher on an IQ subtest than those who didn’t.
There are many cases that have shown that music improves performance across a variety of work. So, when you start to feel your eyes getting heavy during the day, put on some headphones and get the music pumping.
We suggest aiming for music that is upbeat to give you energy but doesn’t have lyrics so that you don’t get too distracted from the work at hand.
Stretch
Sitting at your desk for hours on end can get exhausting and also isn’t great for your body.
Schedule short breaks into your day to get up and stretch.
This helps you regain energy because stretching gets your circulation moving again and sends nutrients through your body.
Here are some of our favorite stretches to do during the day:
Neck rolls. These help to get rid of stiffness in your neck which often happens while sitting for long periods and staring at your computer.
Tilt your head to the left and slowly roll it back in a circle
Repeat 3-5 times
Switch to the opposite side
If you come across any spots that feel especially tight, hold your head there, breathe deeply, and roll through them
Cross-body reach. This works to stretch your shoulder muscles and helps with the range of motion.
Hold your left arm across your chest and press your right hand on your left elbow
Hold for 15 seconds
Release and do on the right arm
Seated pigeon pose. Open up your hips and give your back a release by doing this stretch.
Sit forward in a chair (do not rest against the back) with both feet on the floor
Bring your left leg over your right ankle, making a figure four
Inhale and slowly lean as far forward as you can
Hold for 10-15 seconds
Repeat with the other leg
Chest stretch. With all the time we spend hunched forward over our phones and computer, this stretch is a must, as it helps to counteract all of that slouching.
Stand up and interlock your hands behind your back
Exhale as you lift your hands up and pull your shoulders back
Hold for 10-15 seconds
Spinal twist. Long periods of sitting can wreak havoc on your lower back and this twisting stretch helps to relieve some of the tension in this part of your body.
Sit with feet flat on the floor
Gently rotate your torso to the right, using the armrest of your chair to help get you deeper into the stretch
Only twist as far as is comfortable and be sure to keep your back straight
Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side
Hydrate
Staying hydrated throughout the day will do wonders for your energy levels.
If you need an added boost of hydration, try putting electrolytes in your water. These will give you even more energy and do more for quenching your thirst.
Eat a smaller lunch
If you grab for a giant sandwich when lunch comes around or another carb-heavy food, you may find yourself drifting off into sleep a few hours later. Foods that are high in carbs and low in protein may cause your blood sugar to spike, which means it will drop drastically later in the day.
Instead, reach for something filling that has protein and healthy fats in it. Some of our favorite energy-boosting lunch ideas include quinoa bowls, fish and brown rice, your favorite protein with sweet potatoes, and more.
Grab a healthy snack
You don’t want to eat a lunch that is so small that you feel hungry an hour later. However, if you do feel your energy levels dropping a few hours after lunch, grab a healthy snack to help give you energy and tide you over until dinner.
Our top picks include:
Handful of nuts
An apple + nut butter
Pumpkin seeds
A smoothie
Veggies + hummus
Switch to a new task
If you’ve been staring at the same project all morning, maybe you’re simply exhausted from doing the same thing for hours.
Bring some life back into your day by switching to a different task on your list and doing that for a bit. This allows you to still get work done but freshly engage your brain.
Swap your coffee for matcha
You may not like this one, but trust us on this.
Coffee is something most of us love and feel we can’t live without. However good that coffee may taste in the morning, it brings with it a crash a few hours later.
To avoid that caffeine-induced crash, reach for matcha instead. This drink is packed with caffeine, but will keep your energy levels more stable and won’t have you feeling wired and then tired.
Meditate at your desk
This may sound counterintuitive, as meditation helps you relax. However, it can also help to restore your energy.
By meditating for just a few minutes in the afternoon, you bring your stress levels down and also improve your concentration. This is a great combo to help you get through the rest of the day.
Something as quick as 10 deep belly breaths brings more oxygen into your boy, which helps to give your energy a boost.
Dance it out
When you start falling asleep sitting up in your desk chair, throw on your favorite song, hop up, and dance.
This helps get your blood flowing and gives you energy, as it helps to boost your mood. You’ll come back to your desk 5 minutes later feeling revived and happier.
Get an Energy Boost Shot
Our Energy Boost shot uses the powerhouse B12 vitamin that helps to improve your brain health, your memory, your energy, your metabolism, and your immunity.
You can come into one of our locations to get your Energy Boost Shot, or have one of our nurses come to you so you can get your boost of energy right from the comfort of your own home.
