Work Life: How To Beat The Afternoon Slump

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You're super tired, unproductive and slowly feel your face dropping down onto your keyboard. It's the mid-day slump and you feel like you can't do a thing about it...

Stick to "Interesting To-Dos" for the Afternoon

Once the caffeine kicks in at 9am, get all of the testing bits out of the way so that you're not faced with a disgusting amount of dread after lunch. We all know that the clock seems to work backwards after 2pm so it's probably best that you work hard in the early hours before your steam runs out.

Don't:Resort to ridiculous amounts of coffee to help you concentrate. Mentioning that you're grabbing a Starbucks will only result in you having to do an office sweep, and well nobody likes doing that.

Find Your Prime Time

When do you work best? Is there an hour (or two, just to look like we work harder) that you get more work done than the rest of the week put together? Allocate the most important and time-consuming goals to this specific slot.

Don't:Include the lunch hour when considering your power hour. Yes our sandwich and snickers bar are the most important aspect of the day but we don't know if your boss will agree.

What’s for lunch?

We've all been there, a huge meal for lunch and the need for a hefty nap afterwards. The 'post-lunch-dip' is completely normal but the heavier the food, the worse it will be. Those fantastic bagels and doorstep sarnies get digested quickly which contributes to an energy slump, damn. If you find the whole 'lean green' vibe a little difficult, try researching different and healthier ways to whip up your favourite dishes. Not only will it keep you fist pumping through the afternoon but everyone will be blown away by your salad jar...

Don't:Look at your phone on a Tuesday. Domino's have this clever little way of texting you about pizza at 11.59am.

Challenge yourself

There's work waiting to be completed and it ticks every boring box, great. Mix up the way you usually do things by pushing yourself that little bit further. Is there a better/more impressive way you could complete it? Is there something you could learn to do that would benefit how you work? Whether it be a YouTube tutorials on how to use Photoshop or pushing yourself to meet new people (knowing a couple more people is never a bad thing), learning something new/furthering yourself can help you climb the career ladder and keep you motivated.

Don't:Download a game that 'challenges' you and spend the whole afternoon trying to complete it. A top score in Flappy Bird is impressive, but not so great on the CV.

Grab a cuppa

Not only is it going to give you a bit of an energy boost but getting away from your desk for a five-minute walk can brush away the cobwebs. If you're trying to avoid the caffeine roller-coaster of highs and lows, invest in herbal teas that too can fight fatigue. Dehydration causes your brain to shut down and not run at full speed, so get the kettle boiling, it's important.

Don't:Sub the mug for wine on a Friday, even if it is nearly the weekend.

Chow down

Gum, it's not attractive but it can give you a quick energy boost. A quick chomp of the minty stuff will increase the flow of blood to the brain and helps to regulate memory (or so they say). If you're not a fan then try a good bit of healthy snacking, research shows that eating every four hours helps to keep your metabolism charged and your energy level high.

Don't: Chew really loudly so that the whole office hates you, nobody likes that, nobody. 

Have your own tips? Tweet us at @staffroomed!