How to Deal with Your Afternoon Crash

Sean Merritt
Sep 5, 2018 · 2 min read
Photo by Abbie Bernet on Unsplash

Does this sound familiar? 1 or 2 pm hits and you are exhausted. Your mind is drained and you can no longer focus on anything. You try to keep working, but you aren’t really doing anything. Three hours go by it was all wasted time.

To resolve this, some people will take stimulants like coffee, energy drinks or those 5 Hour Energies. Taking stimulants like these have some trade-off. You may get some great short-term focus, but if you become dependent on them, you can overwhelm your adrenal glands, mess up your sleep cycle and may consume too much sugar.

There is a better way to overcome the afternoon hump. It doesn’t have the negative side effects and is probably something you want to be doing anyway.

Napping.

American culture has developed this negative view of rest. We see it as a sign of laziness or lack of discipline. However, many cultures actually plan naps into their work schedules. Even highly competitive countries like Japan and China, even though they don’t have a cultural nap time, see it as a sign of diligence.

Of course, public opinion and the truth are two different things. That is why Chris Bailey, author of The Productivity Project, experimented on himself with almost every productivity tip and trick imaginable. Trying to spend a year to maximize his productivity. One experiment he did, was taking a nap every afternoon for two weeks.

In his experiment that napping gave him a boost in creativity, focus, and productivity. Research in peer-reviewed journals shows a similar outcome. Individuals who take an afternoon nap, are more alert and more productive than those who don’t. After his experiment, Chris isn’t afraid to take a quick nap whenever he needs an energy boost.

Don’t be ashamed if you need an afternoon snooze (just keep it between 20–30 minutes or you’ll be more tired). Just do it. Then when you wake up, you’ll be able to work with more vigor. Remember, the game we play isn’t just the number of hours you work, but the quality of hours you work. Taking a nap can help you improve the quality of your hours.

Call To Action

If you are ready to be focused and get productive, I am giving away my Strategic Guide to Being More Focused. This short guide goes through a series of strategies that you can begin implementing to improve your focus and get more done. Get the guide here.

Sean Merritt

Written by

Father, Husband, Writer, Student, Productivity and Self-Improvement Nut

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