Do you look for a caffeine infusion after lunch to help you concentrate? Do you find yourself wishing you had a place to catch some z’s around 2:00-3:00 PM?
Here are a few common reasons this might occur and ideas on how to keep it from happening.
What did you eat for lunch?
Simple carbohydrates like breads, white rice or pasta can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar followed by a drop. That drop can leave you feeling tired and cranky. Try eating a lunch following a plan like the Healthy Methods plate pictured below. This will help you to have an abundance of energy for the rest of the day. And, there’s an additional bonus. You won’t walk in the house famished and ready to dive into the chips when you get home.
What did you eat for breakfast?
Forgoing the most important meal of the day may lead to an energy crash around 2:00-3:00 PM. Eating a healthy breakfast using the plan above will sustain your energy throughout the day. If you are tight for time, try a protein shake. Just make sure that protein shake has all the nutrients you need and isn’t high-loaded with fruit. If you need some help with ideas around this, let’s talk.
Maybe you are a little dehydrated.
Even mild dehydration can make you feel tired, sluggish and moody. So, drink your water!
Have you been sitting too long?
Your blood carries oxygen and nutrients to your skin, brain, and every cell in your body. Sitting and working away might earn you points with your boss, but it can also make you feel pretty drowsy. Your body associate’s stillness with going to sleep. Get up and move every 30-minutes.
Maybe your body temperature has dropped.
A dip in your core body temperature naturally happens between 2:00-3:00 pm. It triggers the release of the sleep-inducing hormone called melatonin. To prevent this, get moving so you warm up. Go for a walk at lunchtime, have a walking meeting, or walk up and down the stairs quickly several times.
Avoid Sugar.
A little sugar goes a long way in the wrong direction. Consuming sweets leads to a sugar-high which leads to a sugar crash, causing us to become even sleepier. So, ditch the donuts!
This is my favorite.
A midday trip to the gym or a vigorous 30-minute walk will not only boost productivity, it will ward off sleepiness, too. Don’t have time to hit the gym? Let’s talk about 30-minute workouts that you can do anywhere, anytime.
Ok….these are the goodies to keep you fired up and ready to roll throughout your day. In my humble opinion these are pretty easy to implement. Let me know what you think!
High fives,
If you think you need more support to stay jazzed up and energized throughout your day, let’s talk.