It’s the middle of the day, probably just after lunch. You’ve sat down to read, maybe work, maybe an article, maybe study material. Then you realize you’ve read the same sentence over and over. You’re exhausted and just can’t seem to focus. Does this sound familiar? If so, then you have an afternoon slump.
The afternoon slump affects many people every day. It is the period in the middle of the day where you feel so exhausted that you just can’t do anything.
Here are some ways to fight the slump:
Food
- Choose foods with healthy fats.
- Healthy fats make the food take longer to digest, and therefore will not give you the oh-so-exhausting insulin spike that sugars can give you. They will also keep you sated longer, which can prevent you from craving sugar.
- Choose leafy greens, proteins, and delicious fruits and veggies over highly sweetened or greasy food.
- Leafy greens, proteins, veggies, and fruits are chocked full of nutritious vitamins, minerals, and fibre. These will help keep your energy up throughout the day as opposed to snacks with empty calories like chips.
- Swap out that sugary drink for water.
- You might experience an afternoon slump if you’ve had a soda. an afternoon slump. Sugar causes a reaction in the body to produce insulin. Insulin is the hormone that digests sugar, so it is a good thing. In large quantities, insulin can make you tired and drain your energy. This happens when you eat excess sugar. Sugars in drinks are also particularly hard for the body to recognise. This is because the drinks don’t fill you up like food, so your body will still be craving sugars after you drink the soda. It is also much easier to consume calories in liquid form than it is to consume calories in food. Reach for a glass of water instead of another soda. If you want it with some flavour add some mint, fruit, lemon, or ginger!
- Drink your coffee or tea black.
- Black coffee or tea will be a good fighter against exhaustion. Not only is it a caffeinated drink which helps keep your energy up, it can help you focus and is full of healthy antioxidants! Drinking it black will keep the calories down and your energy up. If drinking it black is too strong or bitter, add some natural non-sugar sweetener like stevia.
- Sip on some black or green tea.
- If it’s later in the day, you might want to avoid another cup of coffee. But if you really need that extra kick of caffeine, drink a cup of tea instead. Tea contains much less caffeine than coffee, so it won’t keep you up late in the night, but will give you that extra boost needed to finish your day.
- Have a healthy snack or meal.
- You might be tired because you’re hungry. If that is the case, don’t reach for a vending machine chocolate bar or a bag of chips. Grab some healthier snacks like low-sodium nuts, a piece of fruit with some nut butter, veggies and hummus, some fruit with yoghurt, some chia seed pudding; the list goes on! However, aware of the ingredients in whatever you’re eating. Some snacks may sound healthy but might be full of sodium, sugars, or simple carbs.
- Ease up on the alcohol.
- You might be tempted to go and imbibe with your coworkers after work during happy hour, but you might want to skip it. A hangover will only make it harder to get out of bed in the morning, and it certainly wouldn’t help the midday slump.
- Skip the caffeine after 3 pm.
- Skip caffeine after 3 pm. Caffeine after 3 pm has been shown to disrupt sleep. This article shows how caffeine later in the day can disrupt melatonin production, reduce the amount of hours you sleep, and reduce the quality of sleep you get at night. So for the sake of your sleep, skip the caffeine!
- Choose complex carbs.
- Avoid simple carbs light white rice, white bread, candy, and sugar. are the types of carbohydrates known to cause an insulin surge and then an insulin crash shortly after eating them. To avoid this, opt for complex carbs. These are foods like potatoes, brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat bread. There is more fibre in complex carbs which slows down the digestion process. This keeps you fuller for longer and prevents the dreaded carb crash.
- Grab some AEON pure fulvic and humic acid supplement.
- Many people have been helped by AEON’s natural energy boosting abilities. Take your daily dose in a glass of water or a smoothie!
Physical
- Get movin’!
- You feel really exhausted sitting in one place for a long time. Do some simple stretches at your desk or get up and walk around for a few minutes. Get those steps in!
- Look away from the screen.
- Focussing on one thing at a certain distance for a long period of time can be extremely hard on the eyes. If you’re focussing on a screen for a long time, it can be really hard on the brain. This is because screens flicker at an imperceptible rate to the human eye, but can exhaust the brain. When spending a long time in front of a screen, go for the 20-20-20 rule; for every 20 minutes you spend looking at a screen, look away for 20 seconds while staring at something 20 ft away. This can greatly reduce eye strain and exhaustion.
- Sit up straight.
- There’s a reason we’re told this! Sitting up straight engages muscles along your back and core. This helps up your energy levels. You can feel more tired when you sit in a relaxed position like slouching.
Mental
- Go to bed 30 mins earlier.
- Midday exhaustion will only get worse if you don’t get enough sleep at night . Go to sleep 30 minutes earlier at night to get that added bit of sleep you need for a productive day.
- Take breaks.
- Hard work for hours on end can cause extreme mental fatigue, even if it’s work you enjoy. Take a 5-15 minute break every hour or so to give your brain a chance to relax and unwind.
- Listen to music.
- Your brain can focus better if you listen to music. Music keeps the brain stimulated, which reduces boredom and mental fatigue. Go for music that is free of lyrics or fast beats. Go for something more like lofi, classical, or jazz.
- Switch tasks to keep your brain alert.
- You can get really bored when you focus on only one task at a time. Being bored is exhausting. Switch it up every hour or so to keep you alert and focussed on the tasks you’re doing.
- Talk to someone in person.
- If you have something that can be said in person to your coworker, don’t send an email to them. Walk over to where they are and talk to them in person Not only will this get you up and on the move, but it will also help you get away from the screen for a moment. You can also get mental stimulation from talking with someone.
- Switch up the scenery.
- You can get bored when you work in the same environment every day. Switch it up if you can. If you work from home, go to a coffee shop or a different area in the house. If you work in an office, try to get to another desk near a window, or even outside if you can.
These are just a few tips which can greatly reduce your afternoon exhaustion.
Sources:
- https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2507924/Drinking-strong-coffee-afternoon-knock-HOUR-sleep.html
- https://traumaticbraininjury.net/2013/07/12/how-is-your-tv-making-your-concussion-symptoms-worse/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321536.php
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/29-healthy-snacks-for-weight-loss
- https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/afternoon-energy-boosters#1
