Do you feel a little bit slower in the afternoon? The afternoon slump is well known and experienced by millions of people every day. Whether you stay at home or work all day this slump is bound to strike. Most people feel this fatigue between the hours of 2pm and 4pm, which is generally in between lunch and dinner. This unproductive time period can be brought on by many factors including lack of sleep, poor eating habits and stress. Exerting lots of energy in the morning can have you feeling burnt-out. Cramming for a deadline can fry your brain and skipping meals or over eating can make the afternoon slump more prevalent.
Taking care of your body begins at night. Be sure to get a full nights rest with a goal of the recommended eight hours. Eat a good breakfast that will start up your metabolism and get you ready for the day. Go easy on the caffeine; more than four caffeinated drinks may cause irritability and anxiety. Over eating at lunch can make you drowsy even before the afternoon slump.
When you begin to feel fatigued or unproductive try different things before pouring a cup of coffee. Take a five minute nap if possible and if you are stuck at a desk, stretch for a few minutes. Stretching will increase blood flow and can help with alertness. If you are feeling hungry don’t jump to eat a fatty, sugary treat; it may give you a quick rush however it will not sustain your fullness or energy. Try a snack that has a good balance of carbohydrates and protein. The carbohydrates will help you with a more immediate result while the protein will keep you feeling energized later. Some examples of a good afternoon snack include vegetables and humus, blueberries and granola, or apples slices with peanut butter. Remember that are a lot of factors that play into your afternoon slump. The best way to eliminate it or lessen it is by taking the many approaches listed above. Just think, by 4pm tomorrow you could have accomplished much more than you expected just by doing a few simple things.
