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4 Techniques to Beat the Afternoon Slump and Boost Productivity

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4 Techniques to Beat the Afternoon Slump and Boost Productivity

The afternoon slump. We all know it; we all dread it. The slump comes from that special feeling where your stomach is digesting lunch, your brain wants to rest from a hard morning push, and the sun is at that perfect angle where the little kid inside you longs to go outside. Oh we know the slump and, believe it or not, you can defeat it! Read on for 4 Techniques to Beat the Afternoon Slump and Boost Productivity.

You don’t have to feel that weird combination of sluggish and restless at the same time. You don’t have to worry about losing productivity because your petulant inner child is dragging their feet. In fact, the best way to get your productivity back in the afternoon is to give that inner child just a taste of what they’re longing for. A chance to go outside, to have a laugh, and then dive into your work like it’s the new playground game.

Join us in four awesome techniques to get energized in the afternoons and finish your work with gusto your coworkers will be inspired by.

1. Soak Up the Sun

Open up those windows. Let the afternoon sunshine in. There’s nothing more sleepy than digesting your lunch in semi-darkness or glaring fluorescents. The one reminds you of nap-time, the other reminds you of having to finish your spelling test before you can go to recess. Neither is inspiring for work.

So pull up those blinds and let your huge office-building windows welcome the sun. If you don’t get sun on your side of the building, see if you can take the team to a sunny conference room to soak up the sun instead. Or, if you’re stuck in the building interior, build yourself some simulated natural light and wait for others to flock toward it like bored afternoon moths to the fake-sunshine flame.

2. Become the Afternoon Jokester

Jokes are another great way to liven up the afternoon, especially if you make it a tradition. Play Move-the-Potted-Plant during lunch and wait for your coworkers to discover who has a houseplant pretending to sit at their desk today. Think of something hilarious to scrawl on the team whiteboard when no one’s looking or arrange the magnets on the fridge into new and amusing patterns each day.

These jokes not only break you out of the slump-feeling, but they also get your creative juices flowing. When you challenge yourself to perform a new act of jokesterism each day, you’re stretching your brain and trying new avenues of thought which is great for productivity.

3. Get Up, Get Outside, Get Something Done

Get Up, Get Out, and Get Something is the motto of many ambitious people, and it works! Take yourself out of your normal workspace and headspace by taking your work outside. Grab your laptop and head for a picnic table on the grounds. This works even better if your company has helpfully provided a few outdoor workspaces designed for ergonomic typing and being surrounded by the beauty of nature at the same time.

The combination of sunshine, greenery, and the diverse scents of a beautifully designed outdoor environment will activate your brain and inspire you to get a ton more done instead of letting your work drag on while you dream of the outdoors.

This is our go-to of all the ways to Beat the Afternoon Slump.

4. Get Your Blood Pumping

Last but certainly not least, exercise! The best way to get your brain moving is to get your body moving and your blood pumping. Low circulation is one of the primary causes of sluggish thought, so fight it by making your blood move faster! If you’re a runner, take half your lunch-break to run around the track surrounding your office. If there’s a gym, do a few weight reps, spinning, or treadmill minutes.

Even if you’re not very athletic, a few quick squats will push your blood around and clear your head in a way that can be pretty surprising the first time you completely defeat that afternoon-slump feeling.

When you’re feeling sluggish in the afternoon try one of these techniques to clear the fog from your mind. Let the sunshine in, enjoy the outdoors, or just get active and tell some jokes or do some exercise. And Beat the Afternoon Slump!