Are you tired of being tired in the middle of the day? Perhaps the classic 3 o’clock slump in energy, mood and focus is affecting your work or even your relationships. Getting down to the bottom of your energy crisis in the middle of the afternoon can help you regain your focus and get back to getting the job done.
While several different medical conditions can cause chronic fatigue – such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, Chronic Fatigue Immunodeficiency Syndrome and fibromyalgia – for most people, diet and lifestyle are the main culprits behind the mid-afternoon slump.
A Poor Diet Could Be Making You Feel Sluggish
If you’re like most people, you hit the door running with little more than a cup of coffee and a donut in your hand to get you through the morning. Then it’s either a quick lunch filled with empty calories or even no lunch at all. And you expect that to get you through the day?
A poor diet filled with empty calories or barely any calories at all could be exactly what’s behind your personal 3 o’clock slump. Skipping breakfast in the morning slows down your metabolism, making your body have to work harder to keep up with your busy schedule. And many of the junk foods you may be calling lunch are filled with empty calories, sugar and processed flour, which make your blood sugar spike. As your blood sugar comes back down to earth, you can experience all the classic symptoms of the mid-afternoon slump: fatigue, lack of concentration and sleepiness. Not only that, but a poor diet means you’re not getting the proper vitamins and nutrients your body needs to keep the immune system going, meaning you’re leaving yourself open for anything from the common cold to gum disease.
Eating a diet that is balanced in nutrients and food groups is essential to having energy that lasts you throughout the day. Aim for whole grains and complex carbohydrates that release energy slowly throughout your body. Pair those with lean protein sources – like a protein shake – and your body will have the energy it needs to get you through the afternoon.
Why Your Afternoon Cup of Coffee is Missing the Mark
One of the most popular methods for battling mid-afternoon fatigue is to reach for the nearest can of soda, cup of coffee or energy drink. But you’re probably only delaying the inevitable when it comes to downing large amounts of caffeine in order to break out of your slump.
As you probably already know, caffeine stimulates your nervous system and dilates your blood vessels, helping you feel more alert and awake. But what you may not know is that caffeine is also a powerful drug that, with excessive use, can cause the very symptoms you’re trying to address.
Drinking the equivalent of a few cups of coffee per day of caffeine probably won’t harm you, according to the American Heart Association. But when you start relying on caffeine to wake you up in the morning and keep you awake in the afternoon, you can start to develop caffeine withdrawals, which include headache, fatigue, anxiety and drowsiness. Sound familiar?
Keep Your Body Properly Hydrated
Are you getting enough water to drink during the day? If not, mild dehydration may be playing a role in your mid-afternoon slump. You may think dehydration just makes you feel thirsty, but not getting enough proper fluids throughout the day can also send your electrolyte levels out of whack. Minerals such as potassium, calcium and sodium are essential to your natural body processes such as circulation, digestion and respiration. Not getting enough fluids can deplete some of these minerals and lead to drowsiness, muscle fatigue and other common problems of the 3 o’clock slump.
The Mayo Clinic suggests drinking between 2 to 3 liters of water a day to keep up with the water you lose through normal activity. If you have a job that keeps you on your feet regularly, you may need even more than that.
How Exercise Can Help You Feel Energized
It may seem like a contradiction in terms, but not getting enough exercise could leave you feeling more tired throughout the day. A study conducted by the University of Georgia showed that people who get more exercise over an extended period of time feel more energized throughout the day. Before you head out and spend money on a gym membership, though, just a half hour of moderate-intensity exercise such as brisk walking should be enough to do the trick and help get you through your day.
A Daily Multivitamin May Be Just the Solution You’re Looking For
If you’re tired of feeling tired during the day, Isagenix Canada’s powerful combination of vitamins, minerals an
d antioxidants found in the Ageless Essentials™ Daily Pack can help fill in the gaps in your diet that leave you worn out in the afternoon. Ageless Essentials’ unique blend of ingredients, combined with the convenient A.M. and P.M. packs and the power of rapid disintegration technology, help provide continuous energy throughout the day.
Better yet, Ageless Essentials helps protect your body from the harmful effects of free radicals thanks to its powerful antioxidants, guarding against the signs of aging and giving you a more youthful look and feel.
So stop slumping every day and start feeling better with a better diet, more regular exercise and the help of the Ageless Essentials Daily Pack.