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 black6host on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:03AM (2 children)
So what I do, and did, is forgo the craving for a second wind and simply take a nap! So, doesn't seem so hard to me :)
My reality: If I wasn't doing it at work I was doing it at home anyway. There was no work, only play. And I loved it.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday August 17 2017, @05:02AM
Never nap, because I'm useless afterwards. But I save my afternoons for mind numbing tasks that don't require a bunch of thought. Or maybe Bugging the guys in the other offices who also don't get anything done in the afternoon.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by Bill Evans on Thursday August 17 2017, @09:54AM
You snooze, you win!
(Score: 2) by fliptop on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:07AM (5 children)
Then you won't go into an insulin coma. It really is that simple, folks.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:10AM
On man's solutions are another man's waste of time.
(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.
(Score: 1) by Improbus on Thursday August 17 2017, @05:32PM
You are correct sir! I try to have a salad or something else that is low-carb at lunch. Around 2 PM I have a bulletproof coffee (coffee + 2 tbsp organic butter + MTC Oil + misc other yummy ingredients) and I am good to go the rest of the day.
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:08AM (2 children)
Why can't you have a plain old nap, why does it have to be a "power" nap? Wish that cliche would die.
They call them siestas in Mexico.
(Score: 2) by fliptop on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:11AM (1 child)
A "power nap" is where you sleep but not long enough for your body to start releasing melatonin. You wake refreshed and not groggy.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
(Score: 2) by n1 on Thursday August 17 2017, @05:40AM
I find it impossible to "power nap", the only times I can nap is when I have no agenda for the rest of the day, then napping for a couple hours might be feasible. But it's not really necessary then.
It amazes me how people can nap for 20 minutes, if they have 25 to spare.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:12AM
Fika, sometimes a short nap. Afternoon delight is normally out of the question.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:13AM (6 children)
Wake at 2pm. Troll SN. Wank. Shower. Dress.
Go to coffee shop. Buy energy drink. Eat big salad. Troll SN.
Wander home at 10pm when coffee shop closes. Undress. Wank. Troll SN.
Watch eight hours of pirated TV streams. Troll SN.
Pass out at 6am. Do it all again.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:16AM (3 children)
You'd think for all the trolling practice you get in that you'd be good at it. I guess some people got it and some just never will.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:27AM (2 children)
Dick niggers, with jews you lose, etc etc.
Good trolls put on an act to get a reaction from some and to entertain others. Bad trolls just hate your fucking guts.
Shut up it's time for TV. Ohhhh loook Andrea Savage is on tonight. She reminds me of a female Seinfeld. Big salads and jews, natch.
Fuck you. I hope you die in a fire and take your shithole of a news site with you when you burn.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday August 17 2017, @10:55AM (1 child)
See, that's funny. You were trying to troll around here, which is to say make someone upset enough to respond to you, but what happened was you got trolled your own self.
Son, the first rule of trolling is you never let anyone make you give a shit about what they say. Trolling is always a competitive sport. Meditate upon this.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @06:54PM
A bad troll admitted "I'm gonna troll you so badly like I don't give a shit" and you fucking responded with a old man lecture. You got trolled, moron.
Hey nigger. Here's an idea for your comedy act. Go up on stage and lynch yourself.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday August 17 2017, @04:54AM
Somehow, your daily schedule seems incomplete.
Ah, I know what it is! The "coffee shop" and "watching pirated streams" periods, there are no wank in them. You really aren't yet ready to fulfill your purpose in life, are you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @05:54AM
> not wanking at the coffee shoppe
Can't tell if noob or lamer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:37AM (2 children)
...when at all possible, I come home, eat lunch, jerk off, take a nap.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:41AM
Afternoon masturbation is seconded, bitches.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @03:59AM
> 5. Establish a fun afternoon ritual.
I've been trying to get my partner to go for sex and a nap in the afternoon, but they are busy most afternoons (we both work from home).
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @04:33AM (1 child)
I find, that if my energy is low in the afternoons, and I need a break from coding, going down to a park where there is a Confederate Cretin Statue and punching a Nazi in the face; gets the juices flowing again, so I can write great code. If there are no Nazis, Punching KKK in the face is a fair substitute, but you can never tell where their face is. Seriously, I think some of them have the hoods placed over their dicks! But finally, these guys all in camo, carrying "arms" in "self-defense". I punch them in the face all the time, and you know what happens? I go back to coding. Facebook. Facial recognition. Nazi facial recognition. Dudes, everyone will know who you are. And you will be fired, and have nothing but Nazi sympathizing women, which sounds good if you look at the posters, but take a look at the actual women. Neo-Nazism in America has an obesity problem! Why are all these "oppressed" whites fat as fuck? Punch them in the face, at least they will get some cardio-exercise out of the whole deal.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @08:00AM
I, on the other hand, prefer my Nazi punching in the morning. Does have the downside of there not being so many of them, since they tend to be laggards who sleep in too much. But they are also easier to punch in the face, since not all that awake.
But I agree, Nazi punching is fun for the whole family, and if you have any Nazis near you, punch them. And then call in the 82nd Airborne, and Seal Team, oh heck, all the Seal Teams! They are fucking Nazis!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @05:07AM
My body "plummets" at about 3:30am, why am I such an insect - Jesus kill me. Also, Colton's mom ate the antimatter in the universe so scientists can't find it. Yes, it has been said before but this is the version for my neighborhood, sorry Colton's mom. You aren't that fat but you are mean to basically everybody and we kind of secretly hate you a little.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 17 2017, @08:24AM
And you really really need one because night is obviously when people are most tired.
1. Fuck the prom queen like a champ
2. Sleep like a baby
3. Morning blowjob
(Score: 2) by mcgrew on Thursday August 17 2017, @01:53PM
Go to the bar at 2:00.
mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org