How to Combat the Afternoon Slump at Work
These tips will help you get through the rest of the day.
No matter how much you love your job, you sometimes need an energy boost in the afternoon. Whether it’s due to sleepless nights, an intense workload, or something else altogether, the midday slump is for real. But rather than reach for a sweet treat to give you a boost — followed by a crash! — try these tips that can help you feel more energized and ready to take on the second half of your day.
TAKE A LUNCHTIME WALK OUT IN NATURE.
If you find yourself regularly staring out the window in the afternoon, getting up and actually taking a walk outside might just help. Studies have found that when people spend time out in nature, they report feeling a greater sense of vitality (aka physical and mental energy) for the day. That doesn’t mean you need to charter a flight to Yellowstone for the afternoon — it can be as simple as a nice power walk through a local park, or even just a walk down a sidewalk lined with some trees. Use your lunch break; in one experiment, the study authors found that at least 20 minutes outdoors led to increased vitality.
ADJUST WHAT YOU’RE EATING TO AVOID A SUGAR CRASH.
While rummaging for a snack in the office candy jar or grabbing a caffeinated soda around 3 p.m. might seem like a revitalizing idea, it most likely isn’t. A large amount of simple sugar can lead to a spike in blood sugar, which will be followed by a crash. Meaning, you might feel amazing for a brief amount of time, but you’ll come down hard. Instead, try a piece of fruit, which yes, does contain (natural) sugar, but also has fiber, which helps regulate the release of sugar energy so you can avoid the spike-and-crash effect. A cup of air-popped popcorn also makes for a good, fiber-containing snack. Score!
TRY A SUPPLEMENT LIKE EMERGEN-C ENERGY+.
Awaken your zest for life with Emergen-C Each fizzy packet has natural caffeine from green tea, plus seven B vitamins and immune-supporting vitamin C to support your overall well-being. Not only does it provide a boost when you need one, it also comes in refreshing, real fruit flavors including blueberry-acai and mango-peach, so it’s tasty, too!
PRACTICE YOGA OR MINDFULNESS MEDITATION.
Feeling less than sharp later in the day? Chilling out and centering yourself can help! One recent small study suggests that practicing 25 minutes of Hatha yoga or mindfulness meditation per day may give your brain a boost. This helps with goal-directed behavior, as well as the ability to control knee-jerk emotional responses. If you’ve got a big project or presentation, or just a mountain of work, it certainly can’t hurt to spend your lunch break doing a quick yoga flow or meditation session instead of running errands. Nama-stay on top of your deliverables!
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