You know it. You’re sitting at your computer after lunch and your eyes keep closing. No matter what you do, you just keep nodding your head. Or you sit down in the chair for a while after lunch and wake up two hours later. The famous and dreaded afternoon slump. The man with the wooden hammer. Disastrous for productivity. Remedies and tips to avoid getting an afternoon slump or to get back on track quickly if you do get sleepy in the afternoon.
What is an afternoon slump?
An afternoon slump or hammer blow is a condition in which you feel particularly groggy and sleepy. No matter what you do, your eyes keep closing and you’re constantly nodding. Not really an ideal situation at work or at home and detrimental to productivity. An afternoon slump is usually the result of too little oxygen in the room or of having eaten too much and too fatty food.
How do you combat an afternoon slump?
Once you suffer from an afternoon slump, it is best to take action to get rid of it as quickly as possible.
Open the windows wide
Since we often get an afternoon slump due to a lack of oxygen, it is often enough to open the windows wide. Especially in cold weather, the supply of fresh oxygen will give you a boost, so that you are immediately wide awake again.
Take off something or turn down the heating
When you are comfortably warm, your concentration also drops considerably. So take off that thick sweater so that you are just on the edge of being cold. Not able to take anything off? Then turn the heating down a bit. A little cold will keep you awake!
Go for a walk
A little exercise is also good to drive away the afternoon slump. But since your lunch break is over, you can’t go outside anymore. Don’t worry, you can also take a walk in the company. Shouldn’t you go pick up or drop off a file somewhere? Want to collect meal vouchers? Want to place an order? Classify files? Want to discuss something with your colleague? Then do it now. Definitely don’t take the elevator, but sprint up or down the stairs. You can also take a walk at home. With the dog, for example. Or go shopping in the neighborhood.
Plan interesting work in the afternoon
You usually get sleepy when you have to do monotonous or boring work. Therefore, plan more active tasks in the afternoon. A meeting, for example. You won’t fall asleep so quickly if there are four or five people listening to you and you have to stay constantly alert. It is your job to make the meeting interesting, otherwise your listeners will suddenly all suffer from an afternoon slump! Or throw yourself into that one difficult file that your boss finally wants a solution for. No time to doze! Count the stock or plan a training course. You also plan active work at home in the afternoon. Ironing while standing up, working in the garden, cleaning the windows, preparing the evening meal. Note that you have to do something that requires your concentration or that fascinates you. You will soon forget to fall asleep.
Drinking water
Drink water regularly. Water keeps the mind sharp.
Do some stretching exercises
Move! Do some stretching exercises at your desk or in your kitchen. Concentrate on your movements. Distracting attention is also an excellent way to get rid of that annoying drowsiness.
Take an afternoon nap
It is not always possible, but an afternoon nap or a quick nap will of course also help against the man with the wooden hammer. Twenty to thirty minutes are usually enough to get back on track. In some countries, an afternoon nap is very common. In Spain or Mexico, for example, everyone takes a siesta in the afternoon.
How can you avoid an afternoon slump?
Of course, prevention is always better than cure. So you better change your habits so that you no longer get an afternoon slump.
Get enough sleep
People often suffer from an afternoon slump because they have not slept enough at night. So try to get into bed earlier in the evening and maintain healthy sleep rituals. So no television or computer before going to sleep, no major efforts, no worrying. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep per night.
Eat light
You often get an afternoon slump after a heavy meal with or without alcohol. So always try to eat light in the afternoon. Take a salad to work. If you are required to go for a business lunch, take the lightest menu on the menu. Try to drink as little alcohol, beer and wine as possible.
Go for a walk
Try to spend your lunch break as actively as possible. Take a walk or do some shopping. Go outside! If you have a lot of time or there is a gym at work, go to the gym for half an hour or an hour. Then a refreshing shower and you can get back to it. Of course, you shouldn’t plan so much that you spend your entire lunch break rushing, because then you’ll arrive back at work exhausted and you’ll also get some sleep. And that cannot be the intention!
Light!
It is very important to come into the light. So be sure to go outside during the lunch break and if that is not possible, try to sit as close to the window as possible in the refectory. Going from one musty and dark room to another is not really conducive to good concentration. You also eat at home in a well-lit room. Weather permitting, eat outside in the afternoon.