How to Avoid the Post-Lunch Energy Slump

They say that the hour after lunch is the most ineffective hour in any workplace. That’s because it arrives right on time for your midday slump after the sugar-fuelled energy spike. We have all caught ourselves feeling sleepy or yawning at our desks around an hour after eating lunch.This is only natural, because your blood sugar levels drop after your body is done processing your lunch.

Here are 6 healthy ways you can avoid the lull in the middle of your workday by keeping your energy levels high and your body healthy!

1. Lunch Daily, Lunch Right

Lunch should be early, light and balanced. Junk food is a bad idea because it gets digested more quickly, causing a faster spike and consequent dip in energy. Smaller portions are easier to digest for your body, while overeating puts unnecessary pressure on the digestive system. Also, while it may be easy to forget about lunch on a busy day at work, it is essential for you to eat the right lunch at the right time, so that your health or your performance isn’t hampered.

2. Lunch Workout

Take a little bit of time out of your lunch hour for physical activity or exercise of any kind. You could walk to lunch and back, or even take your lunch to a nearby park, for a quick ‘picnic’ around nature. Even if you don’t have time for a walk outside, you can walk around in the office, do some stretching or even desk exercises, to get your blood and oxygen circulation going.

3. How Do You Sleep?

Your lack of energy during the day could also reflect how well you sleep at night. To function at its full potential, the human body needs at least 8 hours of sleep every night. If you go to bed too late or don’t sleep very well, you can feel the afternoon slump even more, since your body isn’t well-rested and is also experiencing tiredness and fatigue.

4. Energy Boost

Coffee is the go-to fix for people when they’re feeling sleepy at work. It is however, necessary to be careful about the amount of coffee you drink and when you drink it. Experts suggest that if you must have a coffee after lunch, you shouldn’t wait too long. Caffeine from even a late-afternoon cup of coffee can disturb your sleep pattern. If possible, you should go for alternative post-lunch energizing beverages such as smoothies or traditional Indian drinks, made with natural mineral water.

5. Pick-me-up Playlist

Put together a list of your favourite upbeat songs in a post-lunch playlist. You can tune into this playlist on your lunch walk or even as you get back to work after lunch. Listening to music will not only keep you awake and attentive, it’s also been known to help increase productivity at work.

6. Hydration Fix

Dehydration can cause some of the most annoying symptoms that accompany the energy slump, such as headaches, fatigue and irritability. Hydration is the very basis of a healthy lifestyle. Start at the beginning of the day by drinking a glass of natural mineral water, which will not only help you stay hydrated but will also give you essential minerals, salts and electrolytes. Keep a water bottle at your desk and don’t forget to keep drinking from it, throughout the day.

Here are some ways to avoid the dreary afternoon energy slump. Try them out for two weeks and tell us how they worked out for you at hello@kominwater.com

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