Does your team hit a wall every day around 3pm?
You’re not alone. When 1,000 employees were surveyed, more than 8 out of 10 reported suffering from the “afternoon crash.” So the majority of your team is operating on empty for part of each day.
And it gets worse…
Slack discovered that 71% of desk workers report the late afternoon as the worst time to be productive at work. Productivity seriously dips from 3pm-6pm.
Here’s the good news:
You don’t have to spend a lot of money or completely revamp your office. Just a few simple tweaks can help recharge your team’s energy — even if they work remotely.
Here is how to do it…
What’s inside this guide:
- Why The Afternoon Slump Hits So Hard
- 6 Small Changes That Boost Team Energy
- How To Make These Changes Stick
Why The Afternoon Slump Hits So Hard
The afternoon slump is more than just “feeling lazy.” There’s your circadian rhythm, that big lunch and hours of sitting at work.
Mother nature makes most people experience a slump around 2pm. Throw in a large plate of carbohydrates and a chair you’ve been sitting in since 9am… and it’s no wonder eyes start to glaze over.
Sitting is the big one most teams ignore.
Studies have found the average office worker sits for 6.3 hours out of an eight-hour work day. Sitting for long periods is bad for your health. One large study even found sitting at work was linked to a 16% higher risk of death from any cause.
It can be even worse for remote workers. There’s no walk to a meeting room at your house. You can’t chat with colleagues at the coffee machine. Plus, there’s rarely a reason to get up from your desk. That’s led to the growing popularity of the standing desk for home office use. Many remote workers have switched to standing desks that let them alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day. It keeps blood flowing and helps battle that dreaded 3pm slump.
Pretty simple, right?
However, a desk won’t solve all of these problems. These are the tiny tweaks that will make the BIGGEST impact…
6 Small Changes That Boost Team Energy
None of these suggestions will take a lot of money. Try 2 or 3 of them for a few weeks and see which ones your team likes.
1. Break Up Long Periods Of Sitting
Movement is the fastest way to wake up a tired brain.
Health professionals consider sitting without interruption for longer than one hour to be excessive. Therefore, the objective is clear — encourage your employees to move around every hour.
Here’s how:
- Set a reminder to stand up every 45-60 minutes
- Take phone calls on your feet
- Switch between sitting and standing at the desk
- Walk to refill a water bottle
If you have remote employees, suggest your team check out a standing desk option for their home office. Getting up and moving to a different position a few times a day is one of the simplest habits to form. Plus, when it’s a habit, no one even notices they’re doing it.
2. Take Smart Micro-Breaks
Here’s something most managers get wrong…
They believe someone who gets up from their desk is shirking work. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Studies have found that taking breaks of 10 minutes or less reduces fatigue and increases alertness. Slack’s research demonstrates this — employees who take frequent breaks throughout the day were found to be 13% more productive.
The best micro-breaks get people away from their screens:
- A quick walk around the block
- A few stretches
- A chat with a coworker
- A healthy snack
Allow your employees the liberty to take breaks when they need them, not on a cookie-cutter schedule.
3. Move Deep Work To The Morning
Why fight the slump when you can plan around it?
Peak brain function occurs before lunchtime for most people. Reserve those precious morning hours for the tough stuff: writing, planning and strategizing. Leave lighter tasks like email, admin work and short team meetings for the afternoon slump.
Extra tip: Make afternoon meetings walking meetings. A 20-minute stroll while on a call is better than a video meeting where everyone just stares at their screen.
4. Rethink The Lunch Break
What your team eats at 12:30 shapes how they feel at 3pm.
Large, calorie-dense meals laden with refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, and sugar lead to a rapid burst of energy… followed by a crash. Smaller lunches that include protein, vegetables and healthy fats help sustain energy.
You can’t control what everyone eats. But you can:
- Stock the office kitchen with healthy snacks
- Encourage people to eat away from their desks
- Protect lunch breaks from back-to-back meetings
But that last one is more important than you might realize. Eating lunch at your keyboard while frantically keeping up with your emails is not actually taking a break.
5. Let In Light And Fresh Air
This one is easy to overlook.
Dark, stale rooms will make anyone lethargic. Natural lighting keeps your circadian rhythm steady, and fresh air prevents that brain fog from settling.
Open a window. Push desks closer to natural light. And if your staff work remotely, encourage them to position themselves near a window — not huddled over their laptop in a dark closet-like room.
6. Keep Water Close
Dehydration doesn’t have to be severe to make you feel sluggish and mentally foggy. By the time you’re thirsty you’re already behind.
The simple fix?
Have a bottle of water on each person’s desk. Some companies even set up hydration competitions for fun.
It sounds small… but small is the whole point.
How To Make These Changes Stick
Here’s the thing about energy habits…
These habits only work if your team members actually follow them. Having a checklist on the wall in the kitchen isn’t going to do much by itself.
The easiest way to ensure these changes are adopted is by example. If your managers are standing for calls, taking breaks and going for walks outside, others will feel empowered to follow suit.
Start small. Choose one change this week and add another next week. Ask your team what’s going right and what’s not – they will let you know.
Putting It All Together
Everyone experiences the mid-afternoon energy crash. It doesn’t have to torpedo your team’s productivity. Here are a few simple swaps:
- Break up long periods of sitting
- Take short micro-breaks
- Move hard tasks to the morning
- Eat lighter lunches
- Let in light and fresh air
- Drink more water
They don’t cost much. None of them take much time either. But when combined, they can help transform that groggy 3pm into one of your most productive periods.
