If your body came equipped with sound effects at 2:30 you’d hear that powering down sound. Before you reach in desperation for that candy bar, check out these healthy ways to get over the afternoon slump hump.
1. Drop and Give Me 20. Push-ups, squats, sit-ups – pick your poison but do enough of them to get your heart beating faster and pumping some extra blood through that slogging body. A little bit of exercise is all it takes to slap that slump. Plus, when you slip off that blazer after work, you’ll be rocking some sweet guns.
2. Trip to the Andes. Caffeine late in the day can sometimes be like robbing Peter to pay Paul. It might get you through the next couple of hours, but it could ultimately hurt your sleep cycle. Skip the coffee and reach for an energy boosting tea like the Peruvians do. Yerba Mate and Guayusa are both teas that deliver on energy without the caffeine crash or cache.
3. Puzzle Me This. It may seem counterintuitive but one of the best ways to get out of the brain bog is to challenge it. Taking a few minutes to play a game like Mahjong or solve a puzzle can actually spark your brain back into action. It works especially well if you activate the opposite side of the brain your work happens in. Feel free to trot out this tidbit the next time you get caught playing solitaire.
4. Start Fresh. Who says showers are only for breakfast? It wakes you in the morning and it works in the afternoon too. We say jumping in for a quick cold one will get those juices flowing again. If your office isn’t equipped, get similar results with a cold cloth, a face splash or a spritz of something refreshing.
5. Grab Some Gratitude. That midday droop is no match for joy. Tap some instant hapiness with this gratitude exercise. Stop what you’re doing and jot down 5 things you appreciate in your life right now. Focus on how great those things are for five minutes. Presto, you’re cheery and champing to tackle the rest of your day.
With these tips you’re revved up and ready to go [cue the racing engine sound effect]. So long, slump!
Make the Fast Friday Five list grow. How do you tackle the afternoon slump?
Tuja Wellness from Toronto, Ontario
