The last thing you would love to do at 3 pm in the afternoon is some work. Even though there is enough light outside, you might be yawning and feeling to go back to bed as your eyes are most likely drooping. But you need to know that you are not the only one who is going through this feeling, and not many know about it, but it is known as the afternoon slump, and people worldwide go through it. Additionally, you need to know that the afternoon slump is the killer for your dreams and motivations, especially if you have some critical goals which just cannot be overlooked. At times you feel that this afternoon nap is coming from miles away or sometimes without any warning. Your eyelids begin to droop when your energy starts to plummet. If you are going through any such feeling, then it’s high time you start attending to the nutritional needs of your body as it can help you greatly to pull out from the afternoon slump.

Some of the common feelings of afternoon slump include fatigue, low energy, difficulty in concentrating. But you might be wondering how do you feel slumped in the afternoon? Then you need to know that our biological functions mainly contribute to some part of the problem. It would be best if you didn’t stress much as it is entirely normal to feel tired once the clock strikes two. You can blame the Circadian rhythms as they are most likely to affect your sleep patterns. Well, besides these factors, the type of breakfast and lunch you eat also affects the timing of your afternoon sleep. Your body tends to slow down after a high-fat meal, and it then enters the slump mode. On the other hand, you can have a sustained release of energy if you choose to consume higher carbohydrate foods, and it will also help you stay alert throughout your working day. Additionally, you don’t need to stress as we have got your back by offering you some solutions which will help you minimize the impact of the afternoon slump.

Some of the strategies you should implement to beat the afternoon slump:

• Consume a nutritious breakfast- You can start off your day correctly if you choose to start it by eating a healthy breakfast. But it’s not the case with everyone as people feel they are too busy to eat breakfast in the morning. You are going to fail miserably if you are someone who believes in skipping breakfast. By doing so, you are most likely to compensate for many lunches means you will have a high-fat meal. After eating a huge lunch, you are most likely to become more tired. One of the best breakfasts you can consume is something of whole-grain products and some protein. Thus, it would be best if you drank a bowl of oats loaded with berries. Another healthy option is to eat granola and banana. Above all, you should eat something which will keep you full for a long time when you head out. It is a debatable topic whether breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day or no, but one thing is for sure that whatever may be the answer, skipping breakfast is undoubtedly going to make you fuzzy the entire day.  

• Choose to stay hydrated- If you want to maintain the effective functioning of your body, then you need to know that proper hydration is essential. Additionally, it can ideally help you turn your afternoon around. You feel less energetic if your body becomes dehydrated. You can make sure you drink enough water during the day when you begin drinking water from the time you wake up. If you are a man, you should drink at least 13 cups of water, and if you are a woman, you should drink at least 9 cups of water. Throughout the day, you can easily if you choose to carry a reusable water bottle. It would be great if you had plain water only; it is not advisable to drink caffeinated or sugary drinks. Additionally, if you are keen on adding some flavor, then you should add a lemon slice or some berries to your plain water. Thus, by drinking plenty of water, you can prevent dehydration and its sleepy effects.

• Don’t give in to caffeine temptation, or you can consume it in moderate quantities- You should stop right there if you are planning to drink double espresso to pull yourself away from the afternoon slump. If you drink coffee after 1 or 2 in the afternoon, then you will find it challenging to sleep at night. Though it is not that you cannot consume coffee, you can but in small quantities as it can give some mental boost without dysregulating your sleep at all. Additionally, when you choose to consume a moderate amount of coffee during the afternoon, then you can enjoy a mug of coffee and also eat chocolate to get some mild benefits. By doing so, you wouldn’t have any sleep problems. Lastly, if you choose to consume some caffeine, then you should do it from natural sources, including tea or coffee. Some other sources of caffeine, including soda and energy drinks, contain sweeteners, colorings, etc. shouldn’t be consumed as it has more disadvantages than it’s advantages. The sugar just crashes your energy and takes you back to square one.

• Eat a healthy afternoon snack- It is most likely possible that you might get an instinct to binge eat on something while you feel tired in the afternoon. Your intuition may be 100% true. Often people make the wrong choice of foods when it comes to selecting snack foods. The snack items, including Chips, candy bars, graham crackers, and even particular granola bar brands, tend to be loaded with simple carbohydrates, and these foods lead to an increase in your blood sugar and then fall drastically, and this leads to a downfall in energy. Instead, it would be best if you chose some of the afternoon snacks that contain an abundance of protein and some complex carbohydrates. The complex carbohydrates are most likely to help you have a sustained energy release.

• On the other hand, lean protein doesn’t allow your brain to produce sleep-promoting serotonin, and it helps in producing norepinephrine and dopamine, which helps in boosting awareness. Some of the healthy afternoon snack options include hard-boiled egg featuring a fruit piece, whole wheat crackers loaded with cheese, raw vegetables, and hummus, and trail mix with dried fruit. No doubt, you might still be tempted to eat some of the sugary or prepackaged snacks even though it might offer you some initial energy boost but post that, you will experience a sugar crash, which will leave you more tired than before. Thus, we highly recommend that you munch on some healthy snacks, which give you an energy boost.

• Don’t think twice before taking a short walk- You can quickly boost your energy when you change your environment. Naturally, exercise is known to enhance the blood flow not only to your brain but throughout your body, which is most likely to prevent you from feeling fatigued. Also, bumping up the heart rate also increases levels of brain chemicals that are related to alertness. One of the best options you have is to head to the gym during the lunch break as it gives you an energy boost to prevent the afternoon slump. You can take a ten-minute walk around your office if you feel you are too busy to hit the gym or you don’t feel like going to the gym. When you walk outside, you can get some fresh air, which will help you in getting fresh mentally, and you will indeed feel more alert when you are back on the desk. Lastly, even if you don’t feel like moving around, then sit in a corner where there is a bright light as it will help your brain to wake up, and it will also lighten up the feelings of vitality.

• Add some Vitamin B boost- As per recent research, it has been shown that Vitamin B can help in regulating circadian rhythms, which can help in preventing daytime sleepiness. Leafy green vegetables, including spinach, parsley, mustard greens, and turnip greens, are known to be a great source of Vitamin B. Additionally, you can get plenty of these nutrients by consuming beets, broccoli, tofu, and fish can help you much. You can eat salad for lunch, which is loaded with dark green leafy vegetables featuring salmon or sardines, as it is one of the best ways to get a vitamin B boost, which will keep the afternoon slump at bay for sure.

Lastly, though, you cannot completely eliminate the afternoon slump, but you can surely regain the energy, which will help you to stay productive even when you feel fatigued. By following the steps as mentioned above to beat the afternoon slump, you can remain active at work.