It happens every workday morning. You wake up full of energy and optimism. You leap out of bed and rocket to your workplace. Bursting with vim and vigor, you tackle the projects that stand before you, a hard-driving dynamo from 9 to 5, who does not rest, even for a second, until you have accomplished everything that is expected of you and more.
Does this sound like you? If you think so, you are either delusional or an AI chatbot. (I vote for chatbot.) The truth is that like most people, you may have a modicum of energy and optimism when you awaken, which can propel you through the morning, but after lunch, usually around the witching hour of 2 p.m., a wave of fatigue has washed over you.
Instead of getting your work done, you become fiercely focused on getting a nap done. The workday isn’t over, but you are. You’re no use to your employer or your team members. You are drowning in the dreaded “afternoon energy slump,” and no one can save you.
No one except Katie Mogg, the author of “How to Beat the Afternoon Slump,” a recent article in The New York Times.
Right off the bat, Mogg identifies the culprit behind your slumpiness: circadian rhythms.
In addition to being an excellent name for a rumba band, “circadian rhythms dictate how bodily functions ebb and flow over a roughly daylong cycle.” The cycle is “largely set by a biological clock in the brain.” This explains why your manager always bugs you when you feel the sleepiest. Your brain clock is a Rolex. Their brain clock is a Timex.
What you have for breakfast may also be a factor in what you accomplish after lunch. “Sugary foods and meals containing refined carbohydrates ... prompts the pancreas to secrete insulin.” The carbs give you a quick burst of energy, followed by a period of sluggishness due to the insulin. Hence, the afternoon slump. (You knew your sneaky little pancreas had to be involved somehow, right?)
One solution the scientific community offers calls for “replacing breakfast foods like doughnuts.” Since a life without doughnuts is simply not worth living, let’s turn our attention to three more reasonable options suggested in the article. I’ll add my two cents, too. Anything to help you discover a way to dump the slump and still continue your relationship with apple fritters, crullers and maple bars.
No. 1: Take a power nap.
A snooze in the afternoon is the logical antidote for the slump, but you are cautioned to keep it to 20 minutes max, lest “you wake up feeling groggy.” Since it may be difficult to fall asleep while all around you, others are busily — and noisily — working, I recommend you outfit your office for comfort. Keep a cozy bathrobe and PJs at work. Replace your file cabinet with a cushy futon. If you are lucky enough to have a door, cover it with a 4-inch layer of acoustic foam. Wear noise-canceling earphones. (If you want to improve your spirit as well as your sleep, wear them from 9 to 5.)
With this level of quiet and comfort, you may be tempted to sleep past the 20-minute limit, so you will also need a very loud alarm clock. Or simply schedule an HR professional to use the company defibrillator to shock you awake. Being shocked is extremely painful, so HR will be happy to oblige.
No. 2: Prioritize easy tasks.
Plan for the inevitable slump by setting aside certain tasks that require minimal energy, such as responding to frantic phone calls from management. You can also schedule your afternoon downtime to do something that requires no thinking at all, like writing your resignation letter.
No. 3: Get some movement.
According to neurologist Ian Katznelson, “Research has long linked physical activity to improved alertness and concentration.” If you can deal with leaving the cozy cocoon of your office, a brief, brisk walk in the outside world could do wonders by recharging your battery. The problem with this slump hack is obvious: eventually, you have to come back to work.
Or maybe not. If you do decide to take a walk, take your belongings with you, since you will likely keep walking until you are home, where you can hammer down a doughnut or three and hop into bed for a decent power nap.
You’ll wake up the next morning with a burst of energy and optimism that will last you all day, or at least until it’s time to show up at the unemployment office.
Bob Goldman was an advertising executive at a Fortune 500 company. He offers a virtual shoulder to cry on at bob@bgplanning.com
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