How do you stop the afternoon crash? 💤
Maddie Lee
44 replies
I'm a morning person so I feel most energetic and productive before lunch.
After lunch I don't feel anywhere near as motivated or creative.
What are your strategies to spread that productive goodness throughout the day?
Open to chatting about it!
Replies
Richard Fang@richardfliu
I've been trying to do stretching and a bit of exercise but otherwise i'd head over to a local cafe and do some work from them 😊
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@richardfliu I miss that so much! We're still in lockdown where I am :)
Take a longer mid-day break (with running, yoga or other sport activity), only do low-value tasks during the beginning of the afternoon, and you might be more productive at the end of the day
@benoit_chambon good advice. I tend to work through lunch (terrible habit) so adding in a small workout or some form of exercise (I like my AM workouts best) in the afternoons sounds like a great idea. I also appreciate your understanding that getting a second wave later in the afternoon is possible!
Definitely get outside for a walk or even just to sit in the sun. If that's not an option, I like to do something unrelated to work like a quick clean, making a cup of tea, or reading a few pages in a book - doing something not work-related feels like it resets and refreshes my mind (plus, people come up with some of the best work-related ideas when not working!)
@shilohjohnson you're 100% right! I think most of my afternoon crash could be related to not taking breaks, especially from the screen. I have a standing desk which helps, but still not a break and still staring at a screen. Thank you!
@shesmaddie Absolutely - screen breaks are great! I use an app that covers my screen and reminds me to look away from the monitor regularly - I think that helps a lot, too!
@shilohjohnson that is SO smart! Could you link it to me when you have a second?
@shesmaddie Absolutely - Time Out on the App store:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ti... and I know there was a windows equivalent at one point - if I come across the name I'll send it your way!
@shilohjohnson thanks so much!! This is great, definitely need to schedule in breaks, too easy to keep pushing it back and then crashing later.
I tackle it with a spoon of Nutella :D
I agree with @rashikaahuja - bust of sugar is something that makes brain work faster and better. I eat anything that is extra sweet
@rashikaahuja @jan_mazurek XD love it! I'm usually craving something sweet in the afternoon but sometimes it can be a downward spiral.
@shesmaddie Hahaha, and then by the evening, you end by ordering some donuts and a nice cup of coffee :D
Having lunch early (12:00) and try to don't eat much, so I can do sports from 13:00 to 14:00. Then at 14:30, I'm getting back to work! This 2,5 hours break really makes me productive the whole day!
@baptiste_ncls thanks for sharing I really appreciate hearing what others are doing! My previous roles wouldn't have allowed for such a long break during the day (regardless of how many hours I was actually putting in) but now I think that fitting in a mid-day workout would be more than possible.
I'm also a morning person, so I hear you. I tried a lot of different methods to stay productive, but the most effective tools have been very basic ones. For me, a healthy breakfast and keeping lunch rather light help a lot. Also, drinking enough throughout the day. And getting "good" sleep. Finally, regular exercise.
@christianheine morning people unite! Question, what's a healthy breakfast for you and what's a light lunch?
Nap 15 minutes often really helps! and also some physical activity
@elizaveta_k sounds like physical activity is a winner on this thread. What do you normally do?
Stretching or/and 20 mins power nap :)
I feel the same way after my Lunch. So I walk around a bit and then grab a cup of coffee to continue
What I do in order:
1. Good healthy breakfast
2. Just a single shot of espresso. Otherwise I'll crash after a couple of hours if I have more.
3. A lot of water until Launch
4. Light lunch (easy on the carbs)
5. Back to work
@ali_alsayed I'm a big fan of espresso, I definitely see a difference vs drip coffee. Since starting this conversation I've been much more mindful on what I eat for lunch and cutting out carbs is a big part of that. Thanks for your input!
I try to schedule all my calls/meetings in the afternoon immediately post lunch, that way my brain has no option but to just focus.
@ronak_jain smart!! Only works though for me if I need to talk. If I'm meant to just listen it's going to be a nap XD
@ronak_jain woah, I do the opposite :D Prefer calls in the morning because I know I can't focus as well in the afternoon. :D Unless I can do the calls during walks. That's a game changer for me. :D But maybe I should try your approach.
@ronak_jain @sarahxjo YES +1 to walking calls! Another thing that helps is my standing desk. Hard to fall asleep when you're standing :) so I try to take calls in the afternoon standing up.
@ronak_jain I guess you're right. :D I'm in the middle of an afternoon crash right now... And I don't even want to go for a walk as it is incredibly cold outside :D Ugh. Need to get over it.
- I drink more fresh water, it really works better than coffee and tea.
- meditate for 5-10 min, or lay on the sofa and listen to the sounds of ocean/rain.
- do stretching/go for a walk with the dog
@aleksandra_vovchenko water is SO important! I feel like I drink a lot but maybe not enough to counter balance the coffee :)
Meditation for me is great when I'm overwhelmed but not always an energizer.
I actually just forced myself to go for a quick walk and it really helped. I've been productive all afternoon. It helps having a dog to make you accountable for mid-day walks! :)
I totally hear you. I am replying right now after a power nap. I found them very helpful, especially if I wake up early in the morning. It sort of splits my working day in half. Have you tried it before?
@viorica_vanica I used to be such a fan of napping, but I haven't power napped since I started working remotely! I'm afraid it will become too much of a habit - but as long as it's short and works for you I think it's a good idea! I should try it again.
Coffee. Music. A walk.
@gabe__perez actually music is such a hack. So good to have a pump up playlist for sluggish afternoons or need to get through some particularly boring work XD
I'm team "break". I usually need a quick walk, coffee break or actually go on a proper run or gym session. If I can have that 15min - 60min break in the afternoon, I will be MUCH more productive afterwards. But I feel like it is still hard to actually do it, just because of the stigma that comes with longer breaks during the day. There's always someone judging you 😬
@sarahxjo +100!! There is such a stigma around breaks during the day. I've never worked at a place where people would leave their desks at lunch. I think that's partly why I haven't been taking breaks during the day, I'm terrified someone will call or message me and find out I'm - gasp - taking a quick lunch break. We need to normalize the lunch break again. Or some kind of mid-day break to let your brain, eyes, and body reset.
@shesmaddie Yea absolutely! Lunch is something I do now. I never did, some years ago, but then I worked at a quite traditional agency for a year and they always did proper lunch breaks. So even after leaving, that's something I kept doing (mostly). But you know, if you have a low energy moment, it can be so useful to maybe go on a 30-60min walk and maybe listen to a work related podcast (I like to listen to podcast about startups, branding, marketing etc) and that, to me, feels like taking a break, but at the same time I still learn something that's valuable to my job and company. And when I get back, I'm energized again.