Fighting against afternoon slump

I deem that I am like many people, shortly after lunch my head begins buzzing, concentration plummets, my eyes droop and the top of my desk begins to look as cozy as a quill mattress. It's halfway between lunchtime and teatime and I’m draining out of energy. If only I can do one thing this week ... I would happily eschew the usual mid-afternoon slump! My worktable seems to lose momentum just after lunch. Yawns are stifled and regular, concentration dwindles, peckishness sets in and my eyes just can’t stay awake!

If you’re anything like I used to be… you’ll get hit each day in your work with the afternoon slump around about three to half three in the afternoon. I distinctly remember during the varsity days, when the clock strikes 3pm and I would be in need for some dose of caffeine’ which could either be: a coffee or Coke. I will start feeling lethargic, my concentration goes down and I’ll be watching the clock and thinking of how long it is to hit home, or I’ll go to the campus mini-mart just to grab some chocolate, energy bars or peppermint to jazz me up a little bit.

Then, it sparked in my mind, “Why do we get this afternoon slump?” I decided to Google it up to see if something can be done for me to fight against it. Apparently, it was proven that whatever we eat earlier in the day can be the key to avoid the sluggishness in the afternoon.

A trained dietician says "The first thing to do is make sure you have breakfast; a good whole grain cereal or wholegrain toast. And breakfast is a good time to get in one of your five a day, so have a glass of fruit juice or a handful of dried fruit on your cereal," ! There is nothing wrong with having a coffee or tea to perk you up: "Caffeine, found in drinks such as tea, coffee, energy drinks and also, to a smaller extent, in chocolate, is a stimulant, and may therefore help you to stay alert and help concentration during the day." So I have a solid reason to gulp down that caffeine down my throat at different time interval. Of course, too much caffeine will affect the sleep rhythm. Instead, I try to replace my normal coffee with a glass of water. It is universal fact that staying hydrated will help our concentration.

I’ve been noticing in the past few weeks that my afternoon slump is getting worse. My afternoon slump usually happens at about 1:00 pm, and manifests itself in sleepiness, yawning and a desire to curl up on my keyboard and nap. It could be due to my sleeping pattern changed for past couple of weeks. I had been staying up late to do some homework on engagement planning (guest list, budget inventory and other checklist), and also I used to catch up some news/latest happenings on news blog before I hit the sack. I presume this week will make no difference since I have my hands full till my engagement ceremony which falls on Sunday! OMG! Panic attack~