9 Tips to Avoid Fatigue in the Afternoon ...

Your mother told you that breakfast was the ‘most important meal in the day’ for a reason. Eating at the start of the day can ward off fatigue in the afternoon. Pick foods with plenty of slow releasing energy, like porridge and whole grain bread and cereals. Poached or scrambled eggs on toast are good, too.

It may sound counter-intuitive, but that high caffeine espresso will lead to peaks and slumps in your energy levels – you’ll feel better for a while, but fatigue in the afternoon will only be worse in the long run. Insomnia from coffee is going to make matters worse! Switch to regular tea, green tea or chai.

Fatigue in the afternoon is made worse by eating refined sugars at lunch. Avoid white bread, cakes and pasta, and eat a high-protein salad – which is good for your waistline as well as your energy levels!

Snacking is not always bad – humans aren’t designed to eat large meals, and having a little something in your pocket can ward off fatigue in the afternoon and mid-morning too. Avoid chocolate – make like a squirrel and eat nuts and fruit.

Regular exercise makes you alert and gives you more energy, which is great news for avoiding fatigue in the afternoon. If you can, go for a walk or a run in the afternoon – if you’re lucky enough to be close to a gym, take a late lunch and squeeze in a spin class.

Most work environments are dehydrating, and making regular trips to the water cooler can help you stay fresh – and offering to get water for other colleagues can also lead to good networking or gossiping opportunities. But not all drinks are good – having a glass of wine with lunch can be a very fast way to ending up with afternoon fatigue! Stick to drinking water and avoid sugary drinks and alcohol.

Power naps are kind of 80s, but giving in to your fatigue in the afternoon for 20 minutes or so can leave you raring to go for the rest of the afternoon. However, having your own office helps immeasurably (especially if you snore)!

If you find that you’re good for nothing in the mid-afternoon but are full of beans in the morning, then use any flexible working facilities you might have to come in early and leave early – or come in late and leave late, if you only get going in the late afternoon. If this isn’t an option, do boring admin jobs when you have fatigue in the afternoon, and save more brain intensive tasks for other times.

Smelling peppermint oil will naturally make you feel more awake, and is an excellent way of dealing with fatigue in the afternoon. This is also a great way of coping with colleagues with questionable personal hygiene!

Follow these 9 Tips to Avoid Fatigue in the Afternoon and your customary post-lunch slump will soon be forgotten, and you will wow your bosses with your day-long zealous commitment to your company! They might start asking you for tips on avoiding fatigue in the afternoon! But do you have any of your own top tips of your own? Let us know your own tried and tested ways of dealing with fatigue in the afternoon!

Top Photo Credit: KyroII