We’ve all experienced it. It’s mid-afternoon and suddenly, your energy levels drop. An afternoon slump (or a 3pm slump as it’s often called), can bring your day to a sudden halt, cancelling any plans of productivity you may have had. But all is not lost, throughout this article we will cover the signs of an afternoon slump, the causes and most importantly, how to prevent them.
Signs of an afternoon slump
Feeling lethargic or fatigued with regular yawning can be a sign of an afternoon slump. Other sure signs include slight changes in your vision, a tingling feeling or muscle weakness and moodiness. You should also look out for a headache or stomach ache or the feeling of craving carbohydrates between 1pm and 3pm. A genuine afternoon slump often results in more than one symptom and is significantly more serious than feeling tired or really wanting the day to finish.
What causes an afternoon slump?
Now you know what an afternoon slump looks like, let’s look at some of the causes. One of the most obvious and preventable causes is poor quality sleep. Too many late nights mean that you don’t have the energy to finish the day, no matter how much caffeine you consume. Other causes can be an unhealthy diet, feeling dehydrated and regular high levels of stress. Another more serious cause could be a metabolic disorder such as pre-diabetes or insulin resistance, reactive hypoglycaemia or polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Understanding the signs and the causes of an afternoon slump are the first steps in finding a way to deal with it. Now we can take a look at some of the best ways to prevent the 3pm slump.
Preventing the 3pm slump
There are a number of solutions to your afternoon slump problem. Luckily, these methods also beneficial for your overall health and wellbeing. See it as taking care of yourself.
Take regular walks
Walking as exercise is a simple solution that can be enjoyed by anyone. The gentle movement is great for you both physically and mentally, and you can go at your own pace depending on your fitness level. A brisk 10 minute walk can help build stamina, burn calories and even make your heart healthier, all of which contributes towards reducing the likelihood of an afternoon slump. Better yet, it’s really easy to fit a 10 minute walk into your schedule. Whether it’s in the morning, during your lunch hour or in the evening, it’s a really simple way to start improving your health. Typically, taking regular walks will also encourage you to drink more water, which leads us on to our next prevention technique.
Keep hydrated at all times
Drinking water regularly is so much more important than people give it credit. An average person should be drinking about 2 litres of water per day, but this is often replaced by coffee or cups of tea. Water helps maintain bodily functions such as your heart, brain and muscles. The older you get, the less signals your body sends to tell you that you’re thirsty, which makes it even more important to drink water as a habit. A great way to increase the amount of water you drink is to drink a glass every time you’ve been to the bathroom, or to use an app or large bottle to track how much water you have drank. Once you take care of your body’s need for water, you should see a decrease in the amount of times you suffer an afternoon slump.
For those of you who still struggle to drink water, we have some top tips to refresh your taste for water.
Adding fruit or vegetables to your water to give it a pleasant taste is a hot new trend which can help you to stay hydrated more frequently. One of the best ways to do this is with a fruit infuser water bottle. They not only bring a bit of style to drinking water but really help to make the whole process more enjoyable for you.
Another great idea is to upgrade sparking, mineral or filtered water. Often the taste of tap water or certain bottled brands just doesn’t do it for some people, so step up your water game by switching to one of these alternatives.
Maintain a healthy diet
Many people undergoing an afternoon slump might reach for the snacks or a cup of coffee to make themselves feel better. However, this is likely to make things worse. On top of maintaining a regular healthy diet, you should pick healthy snacks with low amounts of carbohydrates and max out on protein instead. Carbohydrates cause a rise in your blood sugar, followed by a swift crash. That is the last thing you want during an afternoon slump! Snacks with protein and complex carbohydrates such as whole-wheat crackers with cheese, fruit and nuts and fresh veggies dipped in hummus, will help keep you full for longer and give you the energy you need for the rest of the day.
Try an office massage
If you wanted to try something different for a change, why not consider an office massage? Massages help stimulate blood flow and circulation within your body which in turn helps to force away your afternoon slump. There are a great number of benefits to having a massage in the office, including increased relaxation and stress reduction. Both benefits lead directly to a boost in productivity.
A massage is also the perfect treat for yourself in order to turn that end of week afternoon slump into the thing you look forward to most at work. In addition to other benefits, a deep tissue massage can help to alleviate the tensions, aches and stiffnesses often caused by poor posture at your desk. Not only will it help to stave off afternoon slump, but it could also provide much needed relief to your lower back, shoulders and neck.
What’s more, a massage in the office is likely to inspire your colleagues to follow suit. You could very well become the employee who finally removes the afternoon slump from your office. What an achievement! Surely your boss will be impressed by that?
Blys Mobile Massage is here for you
Offering a luxury range of massages to put an end to the afternoon slump, Blys Mobile Massage is ready to help. Offering flexible appointments to suit your busy schedule, an experienced massage therapist will bring everything required to give you a blissful massage right to your front door. Find out if Blys Mobile Massage operates in your area by clicking here and see how simple and easy it is to bring the massage of your dreams, to you.
Ready to kickstart your wellness journey?
