Recently, I’ve heard a lot of people talk about that time in the afternoon when the energy drops; the “Afternoon Slump”. The post-lunch haze descends and you want to swap your desk for a bed. There are ways to beat this whilst in the workplace though…..
Power Nap
Research shows that the most common time for energy slumps is 2:16pm and that’s when you could grab a pillow and try and catch a quick 15 minutes. Before you accuse me of taking leave of my senses and trying to get you a ticking off from the boss…. employers are coming round to power naps. After Cornell University found they increase productivity in the workplace, some US companies, including Nike and Deloitte Consulting started encouraging employees to add an afternoon snooze to their to-do list, and some firms have installed beds or sleep pods. So maybe try and slip that paper from Cornell University onto the boss’s desk!
Energy Snack
This is a little less drastic than the previous suggestion. Opt for a snack with low GI, such as oat cakes or hummus and carrot sticks, to raise your blood sugar levels steadily and keep them up. If you must have chocolate, stick to a few squares of high-quality plain chocolate as it contains less sugar and the richness means you’ll want less. And ideally, eat your snack half an hour before you know you’re likely to slump because it takes the body that long to convert what you eat to energy.
Spruce Up Your Lunch
Afternoon crashes are often the delayed result of too many simple sugars at a midday meal. Replace white bread, pastas and dessert with protein (chicken, tuna, hard-boiled eggs) and a slow-digesting carb (brown rice, lentils, sweet potato). With those winter days setting in fast, a good hearty meal of chicken, rice and sweet potato seems a lot more appetizing than that cheese sandwich!
Drink Some Water
Dehydration causes fatigue. “Research shows one in five of us consume too little water,” says nutritionist Fiona Kirk. The recommendation is 1.5 litres, so aim for 8 to 10 glasses a day, preferably keeping a filled bottle on your desk so you’re more likely to drink regularly and can monitor if you’re getting enough. Plus you can also catch up on those water cooler moments that tend to involve the latest x-factor contestant!
Never Skip Breakfast
Low afternoon energy is down to what we eat from the moment we get up and this meal does what it says on the tin: refuels the body by breaking a fast. You’ll need a healthy, sizable breakfast with complex (slow-digesting) carbohydrates and a little protein. Good choices include an egg on wholemeal toast, oats or sugar-free muesli with berries and natural yoghurt, or porridge with semi-skimmed milk and a banana.
Hope this helps and maybe not go for the first option……just yet!
Image: D’Arcy Norman