The Afternoon Slump: 4 Ways to Boost Your Afternoon Energy

It’s 3p. You’re sitting at your desk and you notice you are dozing off. Your not sure why. You got plenty of sleep last night. You can’t be sleeping on the job – even when working at home. So what can you do? I find I hit the wall around 3:00 PM every day. It doesn’t matter how much sleep I get. It seems to happen every single day!!! So I went on the hunt for some ways to naturally boost my energy. And here are four simple & effective things I do to get a boost that gets me through the 3 o’clock slump. I think they will help you too.

#1 Take a Nap

All moms agree, naps are wasted on our kids. And naps aren’t for toddlers anymore. You can get an immediate boost from a quick afternoon nap. This not a 3 hour nap like our babies used to take. Keep it short – around 30 minutes. This will give your body and brain a quick refresh without interfering with your nighttime sleep. So grab a nap on the couch or a comfy chair, not your bed. Because your bed is a signal to your brain that it’s time for a long sleep and will confuse your sleep cycle. Nobody wants that.

#2 Take a Walk

I know you’ve heard this before, get outside and take a walk. Just 10-20 minutes is enough. Not only does this have amazing health benefits for you. It is a great afternoon energy boost. Feel good chemicals are released in your body & a dose of vitamin D never hurts. Even when it’s cold outside, the fresh air and sunshine will set you up for a productive afternoon.

#3 Drink Caffeine

So here is my favorite. Drink a little caffeine. A little extra caffeine can be a great pick me up for the afternoon slump. But one caution here – don’t overdo it! If you have coffee in the morning, keep your afternoon boost to less than 8 ounces. Also keep in mind how caffeine affects you. If afternoon caffeine will keep you up at night, better skip this one. Because messing up your nighttime sleep will make the afternoon slump even worse!!

#4 Use a Daylight Lamp

So this tip is new to me. I just read about the benefits of a daylight light lamp for boosting energy in the book Sleep by Nick Littlehales. Traditionally these lamps are used for treating seasonal depression disorders. However, many people have found that using a dyalight lamp for 5 to 10 minutes per day, especially in the afternoon, can produce a short boost of energy. Again, this one comes with a warning – follow the directions for usage. These should only be used for a short period of time each day. If you use them for too long you can have interruptions in sleep plus other side effects. Go easy with this one. Small doses are all you need here!

These four simple ways to boost your energy are easy to make into daily habits. You don’t need to do all four of these. Simply pick one or two that you think will work for you and start implementing them today. Try them for a few weeks and see how it helps. It may take a few tries to find the right combination for you. I can’t wait to see how this helps you.