It’s not exhaustion, and it certainly isn’t boredom – but somewhere directly in between. The afternoon slump is the scourge of businesses up and down the land – heads droop, productivity plummets and your team and the wider business struggles to meet its deadlines. The best way to stave off that post-lunch fatigue? Working well all day starts with looking after yourself – take a look at these simple changes and day-to-day habits to adopt, and get ready to reap the rewards.
Eat better, feel sharper
Particular foods have been proven to support brain function, and snapping out your slump by snacking from a selection of treats you readied earlier is a great thing to do. Foods good for the brain include fish, tomatoes (brain function), berries of all kinds and blackcurrants (packed with of vitamin C).
Have a clear out
It’s not all about eating well and walking everywhere – sometimes, a simple review of how you organise and orientate the world around you at work can do wonders for your productivity throughout the day. Rid your desk of peripheral or irrelevant notes and files, clear away the clutter of day-to-day snacking and scribbling, and remove any distractions from the task at hand – a streamlined approach to your working space will keep you focused.
Plan ahead
If your slump has kicked in towards the end of the day, don’t worry – rather than procrastinating your way to 5.30, take a look at your workload and plan ahead to be productive. Set out your schedule for tomorrow and beyond – deadlines, decisions and must-do tasks, ready and waiting for when your attention is sharper and your mind up to speed.
Speak out
Sometimes, the source of your afternoon slump won’t stem from things you can control. Whether its a particularly challenging client or project, or the behaviour of a colleague, there are often times when the only way to spring back into action is to get that weight of your chest. In these cases, it’s always better to speak to someone you trust and look to resolve these stumbling blocks as fast as possible. Even if the challenge can’t be hurdled today, speaking out can begin a conversation and enable you to avoid such moments of unhappiness at work in the future.
Stand up
Contemporary office life is largely sedentary, and that’s not good for you. Spending your day sat at a desk, particularly when glued to a screen, can have a significant impact on your long term health. Grabbing ten minutes outside the office when you can is, of course, very important, but there are simpler ways to make sure you don’t spend all day static. Standing at your desk has been adopted in many offices, with specially adaptable workstations and flexible monitors proving a popular innovation. As well as being healthy, a change of stance and posture can boost concentration and productivity – so everyone’s happy!
Look ahead
Ready for the weekend? Off on holiday in a few weeks? If you find your motivation dropping and concentration wandering, take a short break to look ahead to things you’re excited about. It can be easy to get lost in the day-to-day hurly burly of work, and taking a moment to focus on what matters to you – and the many things you have to look forward to over the coming weeks and months – can top up your energy and see you through to the end of the day.
Shake it off
Getting out and about – even for a ten minute loop of the neighbourhood – can do you the world of good when everything feels a little too much. Even a short burst of brisk exercise can boost your capacity of memory, learning and emotions. This infographic by online gaming experts Wink Bingo outlines the positive impact of activity and exercise for boosting brain activity, sharpening your responses and thought processes, and helping you get everything sorted sharpish.
From Visually.
