5 Practices To Boost Midday Work Productivity


Some people really struggle with being productive after lunch. Numerous things can cause this lag in “middle of the day” productivity. It is important to recognize there are strokes you can take to reverse this decrease in action.  Here are five things to do if you find yourself caught in the dregs of a midday productivity crash.

Pay attention to what you are eating.

Think about what you are eating on a daily basis.  Are you eating too much sugar?  Not eating enough protein?  Having too much candy or caffeine?  While these things will give you some quick energy, it won’t last long.  They will only add to the fluctuations in your blood sugar that happen throughout the day, leaving you feeling drowsy and tired.  Instead, you should be opting for healthier options and striving for a balance between carbohydrates and protein.

It is also a good idea to eat 3 full and balanced meals with 2 to 3 healthy snacks mixed in each day.  Doing so will keep your body properly fueled and energized. As long as you also keep the aforementioned eating tips in mind.  You metabolism is increased with the more active eating schedule.  This stops your body from going into starvation mode, thus giving your energy level a significant boost.

Take some vitamin B-12 with a tall glass of water.

Take a multivitamin and a vitamin B-12 supplement. Drink them down with a tall 20-ounce glass of water.  You are probably not getting all your vitamin and mineral needs from food alone.  A multivitamin will help ensure that your body gets all of the essential vitamins that it needs though.  This will help you be able to function properly and have enough energy not to notice the midday slump.

The B-12 supplement is actually a combination of 8 different vitamins, all of which play a very important role in maintaining the high energy level that you require. The majority of energy drinks on the market are merely B-12 with a large quantity of caffeine added.

Drink lots of water. Your body needs at least 64 ounces of water each day. Try to find a large 32-ounce jug for water. You will be more likely to drink that entire jug full of water than four small 8-ounce glasses In addition, remember that by the time you feel thirsty you are already slightly dehydrated.  Dehydration causes fatigue and lethargy.

Take a power nap or do some deep breathing exercises.

There have been some studies done recently which suggest that taking a 20 to 30 minute nap in the middle of the day is not only good for your body, but will also increase your productivity. A nap will also improve your memory and prevent a decline in your brain activity throughout the afternoon. Just make sure that you do not sleep for more than 30 minutes. Otherwise, you could become even more tired and possibly negatively affect your nighttime sleep.

If you cannot find the time to take a nap, do some deep breathing. This is another great way to give you a boost of natural energy. All it takes is a few minutes for this to work. Give it a try the next time that you are feeling sleepy.  Just sit back and close your eyes, inhale deeply through your nose, and exhale from your mouth. Five minutes of this and you will feel revitalized.

Go for a walk.

You have probably seen those people who go jogging or hit the gym at lunchtime. Have you ever wondered why they do this? Well, these people have probably found that doing some form of brisk exercise for at least 10 minutes will help them be more productive in the afternoon. This is because exercising lifts your energy level If you can get away for a 10-minute brisk walk, the fresh air and exercise will be very beneficial to your productivity levels throughout the rest of the day.

Create a healthy sleep schedule.

You may not realize just how important of a role your sleep schedule plays in your energy level and its capacity to increase productivity. It is important to be on a schedule where go to bed and wake up at consistent daily times.  Even changing your sleep schedule for the weekends can negatively affect your workday productivity.  Part of this has to do with getting enough sleep at night. Obviously, if you do not get enough sleep, you will be tired and unproductive throughout the day.

Your body will develop a natural rhythm whenever you are on a consistent schedule.  This allows you to sleep better at night and wake up feeling truly refreshed.  It will also provide you with more energy to get you through your day.

While there are many different recommendations when it comes to how much sleep you need to get at night, the actual number of hours will change from person to person.  So, spend a little time finding out just how much sleep you need. Then make sure you actually get that much sleep each and every night. Even staying up just one extra hour will decrease your energy and productivity. That one extra hour that you’re awake is not worth risking multiple hours’ worth of productivity.

Conclusion

You can make it through the midday slump by taking the time to care for yourself.  This is going to require a little effort from you each and every day.  However, like anything else, as you begin to implement these actions and gain awareness of your habits, you will instinctively become a more productive midday worker.  Doing so will help keep the life from being sucked right out of you.  Therefore, slow down and focus on yourself.  That midday slump will become a downhill slide of productive action.

 


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Joshua Riddle from www.JoshRiddle.com and www.NorcalTechSolutions.com is a freelance web developer and contributing author. His writing specializes in time management, productivity strategies, technology based tutorials, and work-flow. His development specialties are Web 2.0 style interactive PHP / MySQL database applications.

Discussion

  1. Bryce Christiansen on the 27th January

    I think those are all really good points. I like to refocus on my priorities for the day and my to do list. It gives me the confidence that when I finish the day, I’ve accomplished a good amount of work.

  2. Some Design Blog on the 27th January

    Thanks for the tips. Sometimes it can be hard to take a break and take care of yourself when you’re on deadline, but taking a moment to go for a walk, eat better, or just relax can make all the difference in the world.

  3. Daquan Wright on the 27th January

    The sleeping gets me, bad. I’m a CS student, but since I got addicted to the internet I end up going to bed between 2 – 5 am.

    Trying to break that habit now.

    • Angelee on the 28th January

      You’re right about changing that routine. I was once like you before but I finally quit the crazy late night sleep when I realized I became insomniac. Reading books is better than facing your computer screen all night long.

      Anyway, apart from sleeping early and all the other helpful tips from Joshua (the author), the most productive time you can have is the “Alone” time, when there’s no distraction. A mug of coffee in the morning and a short nap after lunch work for me.

  4. Peter G. James Sinclair on the 27th January

    Great article Joshua – and here is a way to boost your ALL Day Work Productivity – love what you do!

    • Erik on the 30th January

      Have to agree with this….
      Still trying to do that 🙂

  5. mod on the 27th January

    If you’re not too tired midday, a good thing to do is take a few minutes to close your eyes and meditate. It really works wonders to bring you back to focus.

  6. Daquan Wright on the 28th January

    Wow, thanks for the tip Angelee! Maybe I’ll read my tech books at night…hehe. 🙂

  7. Erik on the 30th January

    I prefer the power nap, however it’s not accepted in a lot companies (at least not the ones I’ve worked for). Now, I’m a freelancer and try to take some time for myself after lunch. However, the power nap is still the best for me.
    And I’m trying to make a routine for meditation, but somehow I haven’t got the discipline yet to practice this everyday…. That’s the biggest problem for me, I start with a lot of enthusiasm, but after a couple of weeks (days sometimes), my old routine takes back over. Would like some good article about that, how to get discipline to really do the things you intend to do….

    • Daquan Wright on the 30th January

      If you mean “distractions,” I suggest turning off all negatives. Especially the TV and schedule a time to check e-mail/social media sites. If you got a standby button on your modem, press it when you have the necessary windows open to do your work (to prevent yourself from surfing).

      These definitely work for me. Just make a list and attack it.

  8. Good comment about watching what you eat. I’ve been undone many times by eating a big lunch then going downhill after that.

  9. Wasim Ismail on the 2nd February

    Eating healthy and fresh along with going for a quick 5 mins walk for fresh air does do wonders for me, as when you get back your not peckish any more and your fresh and ready for the afternoon.
    Thanks for the tips and advise 🙂

  10. Eric Rockefeller on the 1st July

    Some genuinely nice and useful information on this internet site , likewise I believe the style contains excellent features.

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