Even if you’re normally an absolute machine at work, you’re probably familiar with the famous post-lunch slump. It’s happened to all of us at one point or another – there’s no avoiding it forever. And while there’s nothing wrong with getting tired at the end of the day, it’s less than ideal if you often find yourself getting drowsy halfway through it.
The good news is that if it’s something you often find yourself dealing with, you’re not alone. That afternoon dip in productivity is a fairly common experience, to the extent that it’s seen in a lot of different nations around the globe. It’s not necessarily anything to worry about in isolation – although even temporary over-tiredness can cause its fair share of issues depending on what your job is, and if it’s happening a lot then it may be an indicator of wider disruptions in your sleeping patterns, or other areas in your life.
For those reasons alone, it’s never a bad idea to look a bit closer at what might be causing your own afternoon fatigue, and what you can do to get those energy levels back up. Your office chair can help with that – but here are a couple of other things to look at too!
Why do I get tired after eating lunch?
To be honest, this depends on a variety of different factors, some of which can be surprisingly specific from one person to the next. It’s also worth noting that there’s still a lot of ongoing research into postprandial somnolence – which might sound vaguely like a mid-90s gothic rock band, but it’s actually the scientific term for afternoon fatigue after lunch.
Now, what we do know is that there’s a certain pattern to afternoon tiredness anyway, even without factoring in food. It’s largely due to a combination of our circadian rhythm (our internal body clock) and ‘sleep pressure’, which is the natural tiredness that builds up the longer we’ve been awake. In other words, lots of us are predisposed to get a bit tired in the afternoons as a starting point.
However, there’s a strong pattern of it occurring after lunch. At the heart of this is your parasympathetic nervous system, which is largely responsible for your “rest and digest” processes. Eating makes it more active, especially bigger meals, which can sometimes result in you feeling a bit sleepy in the afternoon
Part of this is because blood is going straight to your stomach to digest and support nutrient absorption, which means there’s less going to your brain. (This is still the subject of ongoing research, by the way.) Larger meals tend to require more energy for digestion, which can make you feel more sluggish.
Your blood sugar, or glucose, levels are relevant too – they will rise naturally after eating. This prompts your body to release insulin to move this glucose from the bloodstream into your cells. In some cases, that shift in blood sugar levels can cause or contribute to feelings of fatigue or sluggishness.
These are some of the most universal reasons. Afternoon tiredness at work can also be aggravated by other lifestyle factors, like an unhealthy sleeping pattern, eating too late the night before, or certain hormonal responses.
How to avoid feeling sleepy after lunch
H3: Take a lunchtime walk
Working an office job (even a home office) can often be a factor in causing afternoon fatigue, since it can often involve sitting down for the majority of the morning, eating a meal, and then sitting back down. In fact, it’s a good illustration of what can happen to your body during an 8-hour sitting day.
One of the best ways to combat that potential drop in energy is by going for a good walk. It’s not intensive exercise, but it can go a long way to activating different muscles in your body to start digesting – even 15 minutes can help to lower glucose spikes. As an extra bonus, some fresh air can help to keep you alert, improving your energy levels and attention span for later in the afternoon.
Change what you’re eating
It can be surprisingly easy to underestimate the role that your choice of food itself plays in affecting your energy levels. Meals that are high in refined carbohydrates or sugar, such as white bread, pastries or sweet snacks, can cause quicker changes in your blood sugar levels. For some people, those fluctuations can contribute to a drop in energy later in the afternoon.
Ideally, it’s best to look at lunches that include more complex carbohydrates, alongside plenty of protein and healthy fats, which can help to keep your energy levels steadier. Fat and fibre can slow the release of glucose into your bloodstream, and protein can help you to feel full for longer. That can make it easier to avoid the sharp changes in energy that can leave you feeling sluggish after lunch.
Focus on fluids
It also helps to pay attention to what you’re drinking. Caffeine is the most readily available and socially acceptable stimulant, but it’s worth treating with caution. It gives you a burst of energy, but it does not do good things for your health in the long-term. For example, it can make your sleep less restful if you have it too late in the day. Some people also may find that it makes their heart race, or raises their general anxiety.
It’s also easy to get halfway through the day and find that coffee has been your main source of hydration, which is not ideal. The general consensus is that two drinks per day is the maximum advisable limit – and it’s best to avoid energy drinks altogether.
Instead, it’s best to focus on making sure you’re hydrated properly. Drinking more water helps you to maintain your normal blood volume, which keeps oxygen and nutrients moving efficiently to your brain, and helps your cells to produce the energy that you need to stay alert through the afternoon.
Be mindful
Working from home can make it surprisingly easy to spend most of the day indoors, especially when your lunch break only takes you as far as the kitchen. Getting outside for a little while can help with that afternoon dip, particularly because natural light plays an important role in regulating your circadian rhythm.
You don’t need to turn your break into another task, either. Sitting outside in the sunshine for a few minutes can give you a proper pause from your screen. That change of environment can be useful in itself, especially if you’ve spent several hours in the same room.
It can also be worth giving your brain a few quiet minutes while you’re away from your desk. Meditation is one option, although something as simple as slowing your breathing and putting your phone down can give your attention a chance to settle. Meditation is not the first option that lots of people go to, but after a busy morning of concentrated work, that mental pause can help you to return to your desk feeling clearer and more awake for the rest of the afternoon.
How the right office desk and chair could help with afternoon fatigue
So, we’ve covered how your food, hydration and lunchtime routine can all affect how alert you feel in the afternoon. Your home office setup can make a big difference too. If you spend most of your working day at a desk, an uncomfortable chair or an awkward desk height can leave your body working harder than it needs to. Over several hours, that discomfort can add to the general feeling of tiredness that tends to creep in later in the day.
A well-designed office chair can help you maintain a comfortable working position by giving your back, arms and legs the room that they need throughout the day. An adjustable setting – like the one on our Smart Black Adjustable Height Desk – can also make it easier to change your position regularly, which can help you avoid staying in the same posture for hours at a time. That often becomes especially useful after lunch, when your natural energy levels may already be dipping.
And if you’re looking for new office furniture to help take the edge off, that’s exactly where we can help. At Slouch Online, we supply office chairs and desks that are perfect for home working, giving you the essentials you need to create a workspace that feels comfortable throughout the working day.
