If I wanted to beat afternoon energy slumps in the next 30 days, here's where I would start

Does this story sound familiar?

You’re at work, and after lunch you feel ok, but then around 2-4pm you could literally put your head down on your desk and fall asleep.

You are just staring at your computer trying to find a way through the brain fog and get some work done but your focus and clarity are completely gone right now.

You go to the coffee and snack station and eat some sugar and replenish your caffeine supply just to find a bit more brain energy to be able to make it until the end of the day, and get through a little more work that needs to be done.

This sounds like an afternoon energy crash.

✧ This doesn’t have to happen, and it doesn’t have to be your normal ✧

Trying to force yourself through an energy crash with caffeine and sugar is literally going to give you the same result, but in another hour or so. Or maybe you can tap into a second wind to make it through your work day.

This may work momentarily BUT it is disrupting your blood sugar, disrupting your hormones involved in your circadian rhythm AND probably going to cause a bad night’s sleep because of this.

I am almost positive that you don’t want to continue moving through your days like this, it’s not a nice way to live! To feel like you’re forcing yourself just to get through until the end of the day. I have definitely been this person before and I remember it felt like I was moving my body through concrete and my mind could barely even string together a coherent sentence because my brain was just not willing to cooperate, sometimes even regardless of how much more coffee or sugary snacks I reached for.

I don’t experience these afternoon crashes anymore because I have made some simple changes to my daily routine with regards to movement and nutrition.

I have compiled a short list of tips & tricks you can implement and see if they help you beat those annoying afternoon energy crashes, because they suck. I want to help you manage them or EVEN make them a thing of the past!

IT IS TOTALLY POSSIBLE!

Here are my top afternoon energy dip prevention techniques:

✦ Have a shot of Apple cider vinegar (ACV) with the mother in the morning on an empty stomach, OR put about 1 tbsp ACV into a glass of water to drink it diluted. The acetic acid in ACV may help with lowering blood sugar levels and subsequent crashes later in the day: meaning it can help stabilise your blood sugar spikes and crashes, which are the main cause of feeling the energy crash in the afternoon. I’ve been trying this for a while and I am a big fan. Some people also claim that ACV before meals can help promote digestion and help with weight loss too, although more research is needed in this area, there is no harm in trying to see if it works for you as ACV is a food product and not a medication. Just don’t drink ACV before each meal for long term. Personally I have done this for a month, (only in the morning, not each meal) and have had no issues, only positive results with energy sustainability. To clarify, I do this about 3-4 times per year for 1 month, and then give my body a break. Health tip if using ACV: after drinking the ACV, swirl water in your mouth to rinse and avoid any dental issues, as ACV is acidic. If you experience adverse reactions then discontinue use.

✦ Eat a protein rich breakfast, and if carbs are present make sure they are low GI (glycemic index). This type of breakfast slows the release of sugar into your body so you feel that your energy is more stable after meals (ie: not feeling super stimulated and then totally crashing shortly after). ALSO, by eating a protein-based breakfast, it helps normalise insulin secretion (is released in response to sugar) and it reduces the desire to snack or feel hungry before lunch, hence also aiding in blood sugar balance well into the rest of your day. Eating more protein in my breakfast along with low GI carbs has been a game changer for me. I used to feel so tired after breakfast when I used to eat a typical breakfast like pastries and sugary cereals, and because of this I just stopped eating breakfast. Not eating breakfast isn’t the ideal solution though as it can feed into hormone imbalance and increased anxiety. The win for having breakfast again that didn’t make me feel tired was simply changing the type of food I ate. An example of a high protein/low GI carb breakfast is chia seed pudding made with almond milk, topped with blueberries. YUMMMY!

✦ Drink 2.5-3L of water per day, don’t forget about the most simple and obvious solution! Yes, being dehydrated can make you feel tired. The reactions in your body mostly happen within water, so if you’re lacking water in your body, the reactions, like making energy (ATP production in Mitochondria), can occur less rapidly. Your brain also is affected and you think slower: being dehydrated by just 2% impairs performance in tasks that require attention, psychomotor, immediate memory skills, as well as assessment of the subjective state. For daily drinks I would even suggest just drinking water and herbal teas, and avoiding sugary drinks and caffeine altogether (1 coffee in the morning is fine!)

✦ Exercise daily: a fast walk, yoga, Pilates, a gym session, cycling, you choose… Exercise has so many positive effects like increasing your circulation and promoting more restful sleep, both needed for feeling more energised and alert. It is also important to give yourself time to rest, especially if you do intense exercise regularly. Try something like gardening or a lovely casual stroll on rest days. Too much exercise will make you tired too, balance is key. I feel my best when I exercise 5-6 days a week. That is what my body is used to and if I only do 4 days I do notice the sluggishness starting to creep in, which also makes it VERY easy to skip more exercise days. A cycle you want to be aware of. Do hold yourself accountable BUT be mindful that it doesn’t turn into an obsession. This is part of awareness development and self reflection of your yoga practice too :) Also just to share that out of those 5-6 days I don’t do intense exercise each day for a long time. Sometimes it is cycling to work and back which is like an hour of leisurely cycling, sometimes it is 10-30 minutes of Sun Salutations or the standing Ashtanga sequence, or a short Rocket Yoga sequence. I go to Reformer Pilates about 3x per week, make sure I do my full Ashtanga sequence 2x per week, and a 60-75 minute Rocket Yoga practice 1x per week. You chose what is your perfect balance, what is realistic to add into your life, and what keeps you energised and not depleted or feeling foggy.

✦ If you experience loads of stress and anxiety try meditation after your yoga practice to promote nervous system balance. Stress raises cortisol (stress hormone) and cortisol releases sugar into your blood. Cortisol is not bad, it’s absolutely an essential part of your circadian rhythm, but chronic stress/cortisol depletes your resources and causes crashes and fatigue. Meditation can be done at anytime of day, in the morning, before bed, after your yoga practice, when you are feeling nervous/anxious/stressed. When done frequently it will feel more familiar and enjoyable.

I have short guided breathing and meditation videos on this secret page on my website: https://ashleyahrens.ck.page/freevideos

This is a short list of small changes you can try adding or changing in your daily routine, they are simple and pretty easy to implement. See if they work for you to feel energised and beat those debilitating afternoon energy slumps. Sometimes all it takes is a small change which can have a huge impact on your energy levels and help you to feel amazing, like a brand new person ready to take on the world!

Let me know in the comments if you are going to try this and if so, let me know what changes you experience!!