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MUST Dos & Don'ts to Overcome the Midday Slump
3 MUST Dos & Don'ts to Overcome the Midday Slump
Ahh, the dreaded afternoon slump. You know it’s coming, but whatever you do, your body can’t seem to be able to fight against it. We’re all adults in this ever-moving world, and doing your best work requires energy and focus. But it’s hard to stay focused for a whole day, isn’t it? How can you find the energy needed to push you past that slump and kick you right back into drive? The answer lies in your routine. Here are 3 dos & don’ts to overcome the dreaded afternoon slump.
Overcome the Midday Slump With These Simple Routine Changes
Get Familiar With Your Productivity Pattern
When are you most productive? Knowing your peak productivity times can help maximize any effort to take on the most challenging tasks. Once you get familiar with your body’s productivity pattern, you can work with it. This means taking your most difficult tasks when you’re at your best and giving your body a break when you’re approaching the slump.
If you often find your days too overwhelming, try the 1-3-5 method. Take on the largest task of the day, three medium ones, and then five small tasks to end the day. All you need to do is insert these activities where they align with your energy levels during a regular workday.
Make Good Use of Your Breaks
Moving is one of the simplest things you can do to regain your alertness. Standing up and stretching helps loosen that tension of sitting at a desk all day. Make good use of your breaks and take a brief walk. Being on the move boasts many productivity benefits. Multiple studies show a link between walking outside and seeing work-related benefits, such as improved focused and boosted energy.
Schedule the Collaborative Activities in the Afternoon
Working in a collaborative environment can help boost your energy. One of the most notable benefits of collaboration is that it forces certain limitations and guardrails. When you’re in an afternoon slump, it’s easy to zone out while trying to finish a task. But when you’re working in a collaborative setting, you won’t slip into this trap.
Don’t Tackle Large or More Demanding Tasks During the Slump
Schedule your days so that you can tackle those heavier tasks during peak energy hours. If you work in your weakest state of the day you may produce the weakest performance at work, and this is a major detriment to your tasks and your ability to produce.
Don’t Have a Snack in the Morning
That ham and cheese croissant from Starbucks might be a perfect grab-and-go option in the morning, but it’s not going to help. Starting the day with a high-carb, high-sugar, or high-fat breakfast like donuts or a bagel with cream cheese can make you feel full and satisfied for the first couple of hours but make you want more sweet foods later in the day.
Set the tone for the day by eating a healthy breakfast that includes complex carbohydrates high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
Don’t Depend Too Much on Coffee
While drinking coffee may feel like it lessens the impact of a midday slump, it’s not actually giving you more energy. What caffeine does is mask the effects of your low energy by blocking the chemical that tells your body you are exhausted.
And while this might work for you when you need it most, caffeine, like any other drug, has declining returns. The more dependent you are, the less the benefit you gain from doing it and the more you need it to get your quick fix.
A Few Tweaks Can Go a Long Way
If your brain goes on sabbatical every day between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., leaving the rest of your body fatigued, it’s time to mix it up at work. A few manageable changes could help you anticipate the midday slump. Integrate the above changes into your routine and maintain solid habits to stay on top of your game.
