If you find yourself repeatedly yawning, feel ready for a nap, or have difficulty concentrating on your work after lunch, you are not alone. According to Fitbit, the afternoon slump usually occurs between 2 and 3 PM and affect millions of people.

Fortunately, there are things you can incorporate into your daily routine that will help you feel more alert and focused until your work day has ended. In this post I’ll share a ways to help you power through:

1. Eat a healthy breakfast & lunch. The best way to keep your energy level at peak performance is to start the day with a healthy breakfast. Skipping any meal affects your concentration. This makes it harder to solve problems. Choose foods high in complex carbohydrates. These are healthful sources of energy that digest the quickest.

Try going for gluten free grains (quinoa, brown rice) and pastas, fresh fruits, vegetables and vegetable sticks or beans. To hold hunger at bay for longer, choose a plant based protein smoothie for one of these meals, adding 1/2 of a frozen avocado or nut butter also adds healthy fat that keeps you full longer and is good for your brain. Adding some fruit gives you fiber and high energy carbohydrates. Try this Energy smoothie, it’s delicious and keeps you full without slowing you down!

2. Avoid sugar. Eating sugar causes your blood sugar to rise rapidly. This can result in an energy boost. But when sugar is introduced into the bloodstream, the body also makes insulin. This lowers blood sugar levels. Sometimes the body over-adjusts itself, causing the blood sugar level to drop rapidly. This explains the drop in energy some people experience about 30 minutes after eating a sugary snack. Sugar in moderation, particularly from berries will give you energy without a lag.

3. Exercise. Exercise increases your endurance and makes your cardiovascular system more efficient. This gives you more energy for doing simple daily tasks. Exercise also helps you sleep better, improves your mood, relieves stress, helps with weight control, strengthens bones and muscles, and lowers your risk for a host of diseases. 

4. Increase you water intake. Your body needs a certain amount of water to function. When you don’t have enough water, everything slows down and becomes less efficient. Even mild dehydration can cause us to feel tired and affect concentration.

5. Have a healthy energy drink. Small amounts of naturally occurring caffeine, guarana, ginseng and vitamin B’s can help you get boost of energy and mental clarity & focus without impacting sleep. Click here to learn more about healthy energy drink ingredients.

6. Take an afternoon break. So much of our work is sitting at a computer, which can make us mentally tired even on the best of days. A good way to fight off tiredness during that midafternoon energy dip is to do some stretches, take a quick walk or just get up and have a conversation. It will get the blood flowing, helping your senses to become sharper and your mind more focused.

7. Sleep well. Getting even an hour less of sleep can result in slower mental functioning the next day. Your reactions will be slowed and your memory may suffer. The average adult needs—but doesn’t get—about 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. On average, a person over age 65 needs about 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. If like me you sometimes have trouble turning your brain off to fall asleep or even sleeping through the night, you may benefit from a sleep spray. You can click here to learn about the SleepWell sleep spray I use… just know, a little goes a long way!

I’d love to hear any tips you have that help you stay energized and productive in the afternoon. Just share below!