Many of us have heard of the midday slump. You start your day energetic, ready to go. You go through your emails, finish your tasks and it’s lunch time, you have lunch and then GBAM. It’s like a spirit of sleep possesses you from nowhere and you feel like you’re dragging yourself through the rest of the day till work is over. The struggle is very real. Lol. So how do we overcome this?
Pace yourself
Sometimes we exert so much energy between 8 am and afternoon because we’re rushing to do all our tasks in the shortest time possible. We end up using all our brain power and mental energy in a very short space of time, leaving us distracted and with less will power to concentrate for the rest of the day. Yes, there are deadlines to be met and you may have a lot on your plate but you will most likely make better use of your time and day when you pace yourself because you won’t burn out so quickly. So try and take short breaks in between your work. Keyword being ‘short’. Five minutes should be five minutes, not fifteen mins.
Don’t skip breakfast
This is easy to do. You wake up before the crack of dawn, rush out the house to either beat or sit in traffic and as soon you get to the office, you hit the ground running….on an empty stomach. By the time you lift your head from your pile load of work, it’s midday, you’re famished, mentally exhausted and physically tired as well. The next thing on your mind even if you’re a disciplined person is food and not just food but a lot of food. Why, because you’re running on empty. And if you’re not doing a physically exerting job, that food will knock you out on your desk. So try and have breakfast, you will need the energy for work and you’ll find that when lunch time comes you’ll be hungry but not famished, which brings me to my next point.
Have a light lunch
This is easier to do if you’ve had breakfast. And this will go a long way in helping you avoid the midday/afternoon slump. You will feel energized but you won’t feel as heavy as you would’ve if you’d eaten a heavy lunch. When I see people eating ‘swallow’ i.e. amala, eba or pounded yam, I inwardly salute them because I would be utterly useless and unproductive after eating such for lunch.
Take a power nap
If you get in trouble or your boss catches you, please don’t come for me lol. But a 3-5 minute nap can make all the difference. If you drive, you can take it in your car or maybe a quiet spot in your office canteen. If your office is lenient or maybe a bit more chilled and has a ‘chill zone’ in the office (yes I know this is rare) then after you’ve had lunch, within your lunch hour, instead of jisting away your break time, take a short snooze there.
Stay active
Even if you don’t have a physically exerting job, try and stay active throughout the day. Don’t sit at your desk all day, it’s generally unhealthy. Walk around your office or car park, get some air, do light stretches, say hello to other staff in other departments(don’t become a busy body though). This will help you remain alert and keep your mind awake, which will, in turn, increase productivity.