7 Ways to Beat Afternoon Fatigue

6 Ways to BEAT That Afternoon Fatigue

Gosh Bri, you mind reader, that slump be hittin' me right now and the office candy bowl full of leftover Halloween candy is chanting my name.

We've all been there. Having some off days or occasional fatigue aint no thing, it's life. But if you're consistently hitting a wall between 2-4p, we need to fix that.

BLOOD SUGAR 101

The term "blood sugar" refers to the concentration of glucose found in our blood. It fluctuates throughout the day, even minute to minute. When we eat, it goes up. When we exercise or go too long without food, it goes down, leading to a fall in energy.

Our core body temperature also changes throughout the day. Between 2-4p our temp drops, which is a signal to the brain to release melatonin (also what happens at bedtime).

All this to say that some drowsiness is not necessarily something to be alarmed about and I’m gonna hit ya with some strategies to combat it. If you consistently feel like dog poop & only coffee can pull you out of it, we may need to focus more on the fundamentals - pay extra attention to #’s 1-3, boo.

WHEN YOU CAN’T SIESTA

1. Improve Sleep

Nail your bedtime routine, wind down better, GET YOUR PHONE OUT OF THE BEDROOM or at least on the other side of the room, and hit a relaxing stretch before bed.

2) Balance Blood Sugar Via Food

Eat more frequently (every 3-5 hours)
Improve food quality (whole foods, organic, etc)
Avoid skipping meals
Avoid overconsumption or carb-heavy lunches
Eat all the veggies

3. Move

Air squats, jumping jacks even a couple no pushup burpees will do the trick.

4. Hydrate

Keep a water bottle with you and refill at least 3x/day.

5. Breathe

Alternate nasal breathing (yep, just what it sounds like - breathe in/out through one nose at a time) OR energetic box breathing such as 1:2:2:1 (inhale 1s, hold 2s, exhale 2s, hold 1s).

6. Sunshine

Sunshine on your skin/eyelids first thing in the am and/or supplement particularly in winter. If you're inside, find a room with windows & stand for a couple minutes.

APPLICATION

Start at #1 & implement ONE element per week. I am 100% confident you will feel like a different human being in six weeks. Whatcha waitin' for?

Note: Chronic fatigue is a different beast than occasional fatigue brought on by treating our bodies like assholes. If you consistently feel like caca and can check off the majority of the above list then it's time to bring in a pro. You may consider pulling labs for vitamin B, D, complete blood count (CBC), and comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) and to NOT self-diagnose via social media (I say this with love, been there I promise).