Beat the 3:00 Drop!
2:57PM
Sleepy...
2:58PM
You are getting very sleepy...
2:59PM
Your eyelids are getting heavy...
3:00PM
You can barely keep your eyes open...
3:01PM
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Like clockwork you go under sleep hypnosis every day between 3:00PM and 4:00PM.
To prevent falling off your chair, headbutting your keyboard, getting spotted by your boss, or becoming the next viral office video you pour another cup of coffee, light up another cigarette, crack open another can of soda or chow down on salty or sweet carbohydrates.
Unfortunately, these common solutions to fighting through fatigue are not without serious sleep, stress, dependency, and waistline consequences!
Here are 10 practical and proven strategies to 'Beat the 3:00 Drop' that won't ruin your health or productivity:
- Eat Lunch Between 11:30AM and 12:30PM
A late lunch leads to overeating and consuming an excess of carbohydrates. Too many carbs causes blood sugar to spike then crash and too much food sends the brain's blood to the digestive tract for up to 6 hours!
2. Bite Between 2:00PM and 3:00PM
A protein and fat-based snack an hour before your energy drop is an excellent way to sustain alertness and concentration throughout the second half of your workday.
3. Drink Water
Your brain and body cells are primarily water, 85 and 70% respectively. If your brain and body is hydrated like a grape it will keep on rolling all day, but let your brain dry out as a raisin and guess what? You're stuck.
4. Peppermint Power
Studies prove peppermint essential oil fights fatigue as well as improves typing speed and accuracy. Here are a few practical uses:
- Rub a 1-2 drops into your palms and inhale for two minutes
- Diffuse 5-7 drops under your desk
- Rub 1 drop into your index and middle fingers then rub your temples (use caution)
- Put a drop or two into your water, sparkling water or peppermint tea
5. Cold Water Splash
Head to the restroom to wash your face with cold water to stimulate the reticular formation in the brainstem which plays a crucial role in maintaining behavioral arousal and consciousness.
6. Listen While You Work
Close your door or pop in your headphones and let music revive you! The Mayo Clinic's Dr. Amit Sood, states it takes just 15 minutes to a half-hour of listening time to regain concentration and that music without lyrics usually works best.
7. Express Nap
Feel hungry...eat real food. Feel thirsty...drink water. Feel #1 or #2 coming on...go to the bathroom. Feel tired...sleep, not chug caffeine and muscle through. Set an alarm for 20-minutes or less because any longer leads to a groggy wake-up and difficulty falling asleep at bedtime.
8. Bright Light
The amount of light stimulates the pineal gland within the brain to either keep you awake or put you to sleep. Diminishing light releases melatonin (sleep hormone = sleep) and increasing light releases cortisol (stress hormone = wake). Open the blinds, switch on a lamp, turn up the overhead lights and let sunlight shine over your eyes and skin to brighten up.
9. Laugh Out Loud
Get instant energy with a jolly jolt of endorphins from phoning a friend, listen to a comedy sketch, viewing a hilarious video or visiting a co-worker's desk for a chuckle.
10. Fresh Air
Oxygen is your body's primary nutrient for energy conversation and also the krypotnite against stress hormones like adernaline and cortisol. Increase your oxygen uptake by taking 10 deep belly-expanding breaths, get outside or open a window to let fresh air flow and get out of your chair to increase oxygenated blood flow back to the body and brain.
'Beat The 3:00 Drop' Challenge
Are you ready to rumble with the '3:00 Drop'? More than sharing information, I wrote this article for guiding your work-life transformation. I invite you to now live what you have learned for the next consecutive 7-21 days to create habit formation. Let's start putting these 10 strategies into practice at your very next 3:00PM. Use the chart below to plug in the strategies you used and the date to track your progress. Depending on your level of tiredness you might need more than just one of the above strategies. I often use three to five for a given energy-boosting break:
- #10) Fresh Air - Get up, get outside and take a few deep breaths
- #8) Bright Light - Soak up a little natural sunlight
- #5) Cold Water Splash - walk to the restroom to splash my face
- #3) Drink Water - a couple sips of cool water
Sending you all my encouragement and support for an energized afternoon...every day!
It'll work, if you do.
Lance Breger is the CEO and Executive Wellness Coach of Infinity Wellness Partners, a comprehensive corporate wellness company that prepares executives and organizations for the most productive and healthy work-life. Lance has led online/on-site training programs for thousands of professionals through his company’s four pillars of wellness: fitness, nutrition, mind/body and ergonomics.
Lance was named a Top 25 Health Promotion Professional in the nation by the Wellness Council of America, serves as a Master Instructor for the American Council on Exercise and is a recipient of the IDEA Health & Fitness Association Program Director of the Year award. He can be contacted for coaching, consulting and speaking opportunities at lbreger@infinitywellnesspartners.com.
Medical Nutrition Therapy at Diane Kress
8yFor over 60% of the adult population, the 3 PM energy slump is caused by excess insulin release from carbs at lunch or liver glycogen release from a carbless lunch.
Lifestyle Medicine and Sleep Health specialist
8yThe "afternoon slump" is a natural part of your circadian cycle. If you sleep well at night you will rarely notice it but if your nighttime sleep is inadequate it becomes problematic. It is not caused by your lunch but some lunch choices may exacerbate it. The power nap is probably the best of the suggestions.
Trauma-Informed Law Specialist changing the justice-seeking experience. Follow me to find out how you can too.
8yThank you, Lance! I have shared with Enrich members! I'm going to try your 21-day challenge!
Catering Sales Manager at the Best Western Gateway Grand & Conference Center
8yGreat ideas!! I actually have some peppermint oil at my desk and just rubbed some on my wrist and took a giant inhalation of it! I'll be using a few of these tips in the future!!
Event & Field Marketing Manager
8yThese are great. I know I really like the peppermint idea and I think I've taken a 20-min power nap here or there which is extremely helpful. Trying to work in nap pods here at our office atm. I think the most powerful one though is escaping the office for a change of scenery and a breath of fresh air. I know in moments if shit is hitting the fan and I feel like I'm about to explode, I step down onto the street level, surrounded by trees and such, focus on counted breathing for a few minutes and let my heart rate slow down. Works every time and refreshes the soul!