You may notice that a couple hours after lunch, no matter how much coffee you have, you feel lethargic and tired. If you are feeling the fatigue, it is because your body’s natural sleep rhythms are kicking in, known as the circadian rhythm, which regulates your sleep.
However, there are ways to bust the slump, and keep you working well and feeling sharp through out the afternoon. Here are our top 4:
- Hydrate
While it may feel like a great time for a coffee, the caffeine will be short lived, and give you a small boost, but drain you for the final hour. Instead, pick up a non-caffeinated tea or just drink water. These can both have longer lasting energy effects, and keep you engaged until you finish for the day.
- Snack
Snacking the right way will keep you energised throughout the day. Things like walnuts, bananas and yogurt are all good options. Avoid sugars as they will have a short lived, deflating effect later in the afternoon
- Exercise
Taking a small break to add some stretching or movement can awaking some sleeping brain cells in an afternoon. Especially while working from home, taking 10-15 minutes to inject a bit of activity can wake the brain up, and keep you sharp and energetic.
- Look at nature
This is one of Danette’s favourite techniques here at Magical Learning. If you have been looking at a screen all day, taking some time to look at nature has scientific benefits. Even if you can’t get out to nature, looking an image of nature will create a similar relaxing, positive effect.
So don’t let that mid-afternoon slump get you down. Hopefully this can help you stay energised throughout the day.
If you want help rejuvenating at a deeper level, have a listen to Danette and Grahame talk about Rejuvenation on our Magical Learning Podcast here:
