How to beat the "Afternoon Crash" ?

willhub said:
You know, that thing that happens around 2pm, kills productivity and makes you wish a lovely comfy bed just appears in the office for you to flop on.

It's bloody annoying and I can't quite figure out what to do to avoid it.

Any change to meals, or certain things to eat to avoid this?
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Your diet must be bad. Used to happen to me until I sorted out the excess sugar and carbs. Stay away from bread and sugary drinks and you'll be fine
 
OP needs oats for breakfast with fruit. Apple and bit more fruit with a brew or decaf coffee mid morning then it's time man up and order some HUEL.
 
englishpremier said:
A good question would be why do people feel they need be productive? This is something that comes up with American friends, they can't stand it if they aren't doing something productive.

In a work environment I've always valued companies that are happy for you to go and sit and chill on the sofa, stare out of the window, go for a walk etc.. At the end of the day it benefits them too.

Those where staff have to be 'seen to be working' aren't getting any more output from their staff.
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Sadly, you are completely right.
 
SideWinder said:
Weirdly I was also just thinking about this....then started to browse OCUK and boom found this thread. :p

I have learn to accept it. I prefer to start before 9am and it gives me more urgency to get things sorted. Anything past 2pm I really struggle with.
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Yeah I think black and white advice like drinking water and avoid sugar is not the answer. The years when I was racing on the bike you had to train hard and live like a monk to keep your body fat down. Still had 2-3pm lull's.

I drank loads of water, had good diet, walked at lunch etc so I don't believe its as simple as that, at least not for me anyway.
 
Cut the simple carbs. Do intermittent fasting by consuming only a relatively small number of calories in fat at breakfast (double cream in decaff coffee), with your proper eating window 1400-1800. Energy lulls begone.
 
Th0nt said:
Yeah I think black and white advice like drinking water and avoid sugar is not the answer. The years when I was racing on the bike you had to train hard and live like a monk to keep your body fat down. Still had 2-3pm lull's.

I drank loads of water, had good diet, walked at lunch etc so I don't believe its as simple as that, at least not for me anyway.
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Zefan said:
Cut the simple carbs. Do intermittent fasting by consuming only a relatively small number of calories in fat at breakfast (double cream in decaff coffee), with your proper eating window 1400-1800. Energy lulls begone.
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The brain and body naturally has periods when it's best suited to certain tasks and when it's not. These will vary from person to person, but at times when it's in a period of low productivity you're best doing something other than complex work.
 
Zefan said:
Cut the simple carbs. Do intermittent fasting by consuming only a relatively small number of calories in fat at breakfast (double cream in decaff coffee), with your proper eating window 1400-1800. Energy lulls begone.
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+1

I nap far less now that I'm on lower carbs, and when I do, it's for no where near as long.
 
englishpremier said:
The brain and body naturally has periods when it's best suited to certain tasks and when it's not. These will vary from person to person, but at times when it's in a period of low productivity you're best doing something other than complex work.
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Yeah this sounds like the likely positive option. Try not to dwell on it and get something else done.
 
Zefan said:
Cut the simple carbs. Do intermittent fasting by consuming only a relatively small number of calories in fat at breakfast (double cream in decaff coffee), with your proper eating window 1400-1800. Energy lulls begone.
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So decaf coffee with double cream in the morning nothing until a nice big sarnie at 2pm?

Can I have more than 1 decaf coffee and enjoy all that double cream? :D

Come to think of it, the afternoon crashes are mainly at work when sat down.

Some days in the past I've been energetic, done 30 odd mile bike rides all on a mocha with full fat milk from the bike shop and not felt the need to sleep despite having no food untill 2-3pm.

But I could not replicate the above at work as I start getting really hungry and heart burn by 11, weird how I don't when I'm up and about.
 
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My usual day goes

Up 8 am
Breakfast 9
Lunch 1
30 min nap at 5
Bed at 1

That power nap at 5 makes all the difference. Just make sure you actually get up after 30 lol
 
willhub said:
So decaf coffee with double cream in the morning nothing until a nice big sarnie at 2pm?

Can I have more than 1 decaf coffee and enjoy all that double cream? :D

Come to think of it, the afternoon crashes are mainly at work when sat down.

Some days in the past I've been energetic, done 30 odd mile bike rides all on a mocha with full fat milk from the bike shop and not felt the need to sleep despite having no food untill 2-3pm.

But I could not replicate the above at work as I start getting really hungry and heart burn by 11, weird how I don't when I'm up and about.
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Well... No. The simple carbs in your breakfast and lunch is what's causing your issue in my opinion. Hunger isn't a signal caused by lack of calorie intake, its caused by hormone release (Google this, ghrelin etc), and the same can be said for your afternoon slump IMO. Your body can 100% survive without ingesting food every 8hrs, the reason we get hungry is down to our modern simple/processed carb heavy diet. You want to get protein, fat, and your carbs from non starchy veg and low sugar fruit.
The whole cream coffee thing is just a simple way of getting some calories in while not spiking insulin, it's a cheat way of getting calories in without affecting your body's signalling, as well as sating the psychological "breakfast" feel a lot of us have when making these sort of changes, talking a couple of tablespoons.

Ultimately this is totally not for everyone, but do your own research in to why your body does this and you'll be able to devise your own plan that works for you. My previous prescribing post was missing this message, which is my bad :p
 
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