How to beat the mid-afternoon slump

Whether you’re still working from home or commuting into the office, the after-lunch mid-afternoon slump can hit just as hard.

One minute you’re sitting at your desk, ploughing through work, the next your eyes start to grow heavy, the screen looks fuzzy and you’re hunched over in your chair. We’ve all felt it, usually about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. It’s called the mid-afternoon slump.

So, what’s the solution? The after-lunch crash is a regular part of many people's day, particularly those who work in sedentary office jobs. It’s mostly a result of our circadian rhythms, the natural body clock, which is why many cultures take a siesta in the early afternoon. Short of moving to Spain, we need to find ways to stay alert and keep working. Try the following.

It sounds obvious, but if you're tired when you start the day then the afternoon isn’t likely to get any better. Save the late nights and your party animal ways for weekends. It will not only improve your work, but five nights of solid sleep will preserve your health and potentially add years to your life. 

Have a good breakfast

For weight and energy management it helps to have a nutritious breakfast of slow-release carbs like whole grains, fibre and fruit with small amounts of protein. Save your greasy fry-up for the weekends and avoid high sugar cereals and sweetened or pulp-free juices. 

If you have unhealthy snacks for morning tea, you’re setting yourself up for a slump later on. Sugar spikes your blood glucose levels, and as Isaac Newton famously said, what goes up must come down. Whole fruit gives you a slow-release boost and lots of good vitamins too. A piece of fruit mid-morning also prevents you from getting to lunch starving, which will increase the chances of you making bad lunch choices and heading straight for the nearest KFC. 

Two types of lunches will see you crash. High sugar and high carb foods like breads and pasta will lift you up then take you down. But big portions of protein will force your body to divert energy to digest it and also make you crash. An ideal lunch is a small serve of meat or cheese and a salad or green veg, finished off with another piece of fruit. 

Sipping on a latte or long black is a delicious sensory experience, but without wanting to burst your fair trade, single origin bubble, caffeine is not the answer it promises to be. Sure, it gives you a boost but if you have too many through the day, you’ll probably find it very hard to wind down for sleep.   

Finish the day with some moderate exercise and a healthy dinner and you'll be setting yourself up well for the next day too.

Find balance with Optus Pause. With the push of a button, you can control and “press pause” almost all of your Optus mobile and home Wi-Fi connections from My Optus app.