It’s called The Big Slump; the energy dip most of us suffer from at some point in our working day. Perhaps the slump hits you at about 3pm or you might feel it mid-morning, or maybe you find yourself on an alertness rollercoaster throughout the day? With the dark nights drawing in here’s our advice on how to stay alert and avoid The Big Slump.
Wake up your mind
Don’t underestimate the power of a decent shower to wake you up and take the time to groom; feeling refreshed and looking your best is an instant feel-good factor. Try picking up a newspaper; there’s nothing worse than responding blank faced to your boss when they make reference to the latest news from Number 10.
Nutrition
Start your day with a healthy breakfast; which doesn’t mean a black coffee and three custard creams. Eat food that will slowly release energy throughout the day. When the stomach starts to grumble avoid a quick sugar fix and bypass the biscuit tin for a healthy alternative. At SilverDoor we have a selection of fruit for staff to help themselves to throughout the day.
Exercise & breaks
How active we are affects our energy levels and although a morning run would be ideal, we realise this isn’t for everyone. At SilverDoor we encourage employees to be active outside of work by funding one netball and three football teams as well as offering discounted gym memberships and having a cycle to work scheme.
Increase your activity at work by walking around the office to talk to colleagues instead of sending an email. Not only will this improve your working relationships but it’s unproductive to be chained to your desk all day. The Big Standing Up Experiment recently undertaken by the BBC revealed that standing up for an extra three hours a day can reduce our risk of health problems.
Relaxation & sleep
Make the time to relax and achieve a good work/life balance by leaving your work at the office. As we mentioned in our previous blog, The Bleisure Principle, we discourage employees from having work emails forwarded to their mobile.
Finally, make sure you get in seven to eight hours sleep; a good night’s sleep provides the basic foundation for productivity. The Big Sleep Experiment by the BBC revealed one hour extra sleep a night can make a dramatic difference to our health and the Guardian reported a US study that found when we sleep cerebral spinal fluid cleans up waste in the brain.
Therefore resist the temptation to watch another hour of Breaking Bad, prioritise your beauty sleep and you’ll return to work energised and ready for the day.
