10 Tips to Prevent the Afternoon Slump
By Jerry Teplitz, JD, Ph.D.
If you‘re like two-thirds of the population, you've experienced the afternoon slump. You know the feeling—it‘s mid-afternoon and you feel drained and want to call it a day. While you do your best to stay focused on your work, you may find that you are not as productive as you should be. Welcome to the afternoon slump!
This drop in energy isn‘t all in your head—it‘s a physiological response. Fortunately, you can take steps to reduce the slump‘s frequency and duration. Embrace the 10 tips outlined below and encourage others in your office to do the same. You'll find that the old afternoon slump period has been transformed into a time of increased productivity. And, as an added bonus, you'll have more energy to enjoy your time away from the office.
Tip #1: Drink water. Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water a day--even if your physical activity is limited to sitting at a desk. Keep a water bottle handy so you can easily sip water all day. Liquids like coffee or cola don‘t count—they dehydrate you and make the slump worse. And don‘t wait until you feel thirsty—by then you are already dehydrated.
Tip #2: Avoid sugar and simple carbohydrates. While a mid-afternoon candy bar may give you a quick sugar rush, in the long run it actually worsens the slump. Sugar and simple carbohydrates get absorbed immediately into the bloodstream, causing a rise in blood sugar, which in turn causes your body to secrete insulin to bring your sugar level back down. Candy isn‘t the only culprit. Simple carbohydrates, like white bread and rice can cause your blood sugar to drop after an hour or two. Try to incorporate more proteins and complex carbohydrates into your diet--whole-wheat products, brown rice, etc. They won‘t trigger blood sugar highs and lows.
Tip #3: Eat small meals. Have six small meals over the course of the day instead of three large ones. Eating a lot at once overwhelms your body, causing it to work harder to digest the food. The digestive process diverts blood away from your brain and your extremities.
Tip #4: Get rid of standard fluorescent lights. Most offices are lit with cool white fluorescent tubes, which have a negative effect on how people feel and function. A better option is full spectrum fluorescent tubes, as these simulate the wavelength of sunlight. Studies have shown that full spectrum lighting provides many benefits: headaches disappear and afternoon fatigue declines, while productivity levels rise. If your office doesn‘t use full spectrum fluorescent tubes, you might want to replace the tube just in your office.
Tip #5: Take a walk. Walking gets your blood circulating, helps you breathe better and stimulates your brain. Walking outside for five or ten minutes each day will give you the extra benefit of fresh air, but walking around the office is okay too. If you don‘t have time to take a walk, run up and down the stairs for two minutes.
Tip #6: Meditate. Meditation is a great way to rejuvenate your body. Meditating for fifteen to twenty minutes twice a day will keep your body continually energized. If you do run into the afternoon slump, meditating for a quick five minutes can immediately re-energize you. You may even find that you require less sleep at night, since you are giving your body much well needed rest twice a day.
Tip #7: Take your vitamins. B-complex and Ginseng have an energizing effect on your body, so take them every day. To get the maximum benefit from your vitamins, divide the dose and take them twice a day, with meals.
Tip #8: Listen to music. Music can energize you, but choose carefully--some music can actually cause fatigue. Hard rock can make you feel jittery. If you listen to music with lyrics, make sure they are positive and motivating.
Tip # 9: Breathe and stretch. Your cells require an exchange of air in the lungs to get rid of waste products. By doing some breathing exercises during the day, you'll get a lot more fresh air into your system. Try this exercise: Breathe in slowly, filling your stomach first, then the chest and finally the shoulders while counting to seven. Then exhale slowly, starting to exhale at the shoulders first and finishing with the stomach, again while counting to seven. Repeat the process three to six times. In addition, do some stretches mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
Tip #10: Handle negativity. Negative people and images can have a draining effect on your energy. Conversely, if you spend the day surrounded by positive people and images, you will feel energized. If negative people surround you at work, you'll have to make a conscious effort to maintain a positive outlook.
If you‘d like to learn more about improving your job performance, consider these AMA seminars:
Author Bio: Jerry V. Teplitz, JD, Ph.D., is author of Managing Your Stress: How to Relax and Enjoy, Switched-On Living and Brain Gym for Business . He consults on management, leadership, sales and personal development issues. Contact him at 800-77-RELAX (3529) or go to www.Teplitz.com.