Hang on tight while I walk you through this very real dose of reality.
It's the afternoon and you've had a super productive day. We are over here breaking records, no big deal. You managed to have a decent lunch, whether that meant eating over your keyboard or you were lucky enough to step away from the computer. Either way, your body gained a bit of fuel. Then it hits.... the afternoon crasssshhhhh. You all know what I'm talking about. The moment you feel like you can take a breather and your body is like, "oh yeah, I'm going to rest and good luck waking me back up".
That my friends, is when you need an afternoon pick me up! Now, I know you're tempted to get something with a little caffeine in it to get you over the hump. I can't say that I haven't given in to that temptation before and I admit, I was a well known offender of doing this. If you're like me and always paid for that late cup of coffee or energy drink, take my word for it and try the alternatives!
Here are my top 5 things to do to avoid the crash!
Move around! Seems simple right? If you're like me and you get in the groove of work, you don't realize that you've been sitting for hours on end. At this point, get up! Walk around, touch your toes, twist your body, pet your dog, do something for at least 5-10 minutes.
Multi-task! One trick I often use is to start a task that has to be followed up on at a later time. For example, working from home has allowed me to multi task my daily chores. I specifically start a load of laundry in the morning so that I'm forced to get up and switch it out during the day. For me, this means walking downstairs to complete the task. Depending on my laundry requirements, I can do this once a day or a few times a day. It really helps get my butt up and move!
Make your daily phone calls! Sitting at home in silence with nothing but my work and my dog tend to make my eyes cross. This is the perfect time to pick up the phone and ask a question rather than send that email. Sometimes hearing someone's voice snaps me out of the daze that I find myself in late in the afternoons.
Drink a TON of water! Yes, drinking water has it's health benefits. Will it wake you up? No, no it won't. It will however force you to get up every 20-30 minutes to um, relieve yourself. I keep a gallon of water by my desk and try to drink one each day. It's a task but it definitely ensures I get up out of my chair often! For an added effect, fill up one cup of water at a time. Leave your water source (In my case, the gallon jug) in the other room so it forces you to get up for refills.
Get your blood flowing! I know that sometimes in this industry, situations can sure get your blood boiling. That is definitely not what you need here! I like to get up and do a bit of exercise. Stay with me here, it's nothing crazy.
Planks- This not only helps with your overall health in the long run but it gets your blood flowing which pushes your body toward a natural pick me up. Do one plank for 30 seconds, followed by side planks (left and right) for 30 seconds each. End with one more forward plank and you're done! Boom, two minutes...that's it! You're a stud.
Air squats- This one is my favorite. Sitting in my chair for too long causes me back pain. I hate stretching which is ironic, since that's key to less back pain. As an alternative I will set my alarm for every hour. Each time the alarm sounds (try not to snooze it, unless you're on a zoom call. Doing squats while on camera could be classified as a bit awkward...). Choose the amount that you do, enough to get your body fluent again. I typically do about 30-50.
Music! I'm a big fan of playing music while I work. I choose the genre based off my mood. If I need to snap out of the afternoon drag, I most definitely play something upbeat! Why not have a bit of a dance party? It's ok, you may dance by yourself. After all, no one is looking!
There you have it folks! Let's stay away from too much caffeine and try one of my top 5 alternatives above. Caffeine can be super harmful to your body, especially if consumed in excess. If you don't believe me, read THIS article and decide for yourselves.
Now if you'll excuse me, my jam just came on and I may or may not have a solo dance party. I won't lie... I'm doing it.
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