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Afternoon is the worst time for distractions, fatigue, and reduced efficiency. A solid routine can help.
Much is made of morning and evening routines, but hardly anything is mentioned about afternoon routines. This is odd, because afternoons are when energy plummets, when creativity and efficiency are drained, and many workers crave a second wind. It makes sense to focus on how to improve this (sometimes torturous) time of day, which is why I was thrilled to see Patrick Allan's article on LifeHacker. In it, Allan describes the necessity of establishing a solid afternoon routine in order to resist the time when when "distractions have the most power—you're fatigued, irritable, and way more impulsive." What follows are some of his suggestions, as well as a few of my own:
TFA suggests: 1. Eat well. 2. Get moving. 3. Save the easy stuff for last. 4. Put a time limit on big assignments. 5. Establish a fun afternoon ritual. 6. Have a power nap. Me: Large coffee with a triple red-eye shot. You?
(Score: 2) by ledow on Thursday August 17 2017, @08:48AM (2 children)
Hahahahahaha.
Yeah, okay, Mr Scientist.
Because if this were true, the same would hit morning routines (breakfast) and evening (supper) would make you sleepy about 7pm too.
In fact, much better idea: Eat when you're hungry. Your body has millions of years of evolution of knowing when it needs more. Rather than stick to a routine (despite some days being more hectic than others), listen to your body and what it's asking for.
No, I'm not a health freak. Entirely the opposite. Absolutely 100% have NEVER cared what I put into my body. Perfectly healthy. Keep getting de-registered by doctors because I never need them (which means I have more "initial assessments" which are more rigorous than check-ups!). Literally, have never read a nutritional information unless I'm bored, wouldn't be able to tell you what food were "carbs" or not, really couldn't care less. My body knows what it needs, asks for it by making me hungry, I eat it. The only thing to be careful of is not over-indulging but to be honest, I barely care about that either and we are adults, aren't we?
Hint: I'm a really skinny git, despite being nearly 40. Literally never had a medical condition beyond "I hurt my toe".
Some people are different, yes, but talking crap about "carbs" as if you understand what's happening in your food/body is really bollocks. Just the word makes me cringe, because it indicates a certain kind of slang to try to impress people.
Three square meals a day was the result of antiquated etiquette, nothing to do with the body at all, whatsoever, in any way. Before then, people ate when they were hungry (which is ALWAYS after a sleep, and then sporadically throughout the day depending on what you're doing). In fact, forcing yourself to have a meal at 1pm EVERY DAY whether you feel you need it or not is what's going to cause you to be sluggish in the afternoon - you will divert energy to digest the food and the hardest it is to digest (e.g. nutritionless) the "worse" you'll feel. Some days, you'll just skip lunch entirely - either you'll eat because you've been really busy, not notice you've not eaten because you've been so busy but didn't need it anyway, or you'll be eating because you have nothing to do and just "it's lunchtime" (which is a bad idea).
Thinking that a routine, or "consciously" choosing what to eat when (without taking specific account of what you're body is ASKING for at that moment), is going to solve your problem is a nonsense. It's like putting gas in your car because the oil light's been blinking for 500 miles but you "know better".
(Score: 2) by isostatic on Thursday August 17 2017, @09:21AM
I'm never hungry in the morning. About 3 hours after wake up I get hungry.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday August 17 2017, @10:48AM
"Carbs" is just a short and somewhat inaccurate way of saying pasta, rice, grain, bread, potatoes, etc... You know, the foods containing high amounts of carbohydrates that are incredibly easy to overindulge on and end up swollen up and ready for a nap. What they really mean are starches rather than carbs. If you didn't already know that then you weren't paying when they covered what carbohydrates are and what they do in the body during science class back in grade school. See, starches are an incredibly rich source of energy for the body but they take a significant initial energy investment to convert into a useful form for the body. Thus the more of them you eat, the more tired you will be shortly afterwards. The time of day is immaterial.
The only problem with their whole theory is that sugars are also carbohydrates. They're in fact extremely simple carbohydrates that the body needs to do little to nothing to and get turned into energy about as quickly as your body can get them through the digestive and circulatory systems. Pretty much the exact opposite of the reaction you get from starches though they're both carbohydrates.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.