“Three-thirtyitis” might feel like catchy marketing lingo, but the mid-afternoon energy slump is a real phenomenon. In fact, given how much our working lives have changed over the last two years, we might be experiencing “three-thirtyitis” at any time during the day, or during the working week. It’s about the feeling of “languishing”1 or to put it plainly, feeling “blah”.
There are a range of things we can do on a daily basis from sleep, exercise, social interactions, taking breaks in our work routines and even changing our attitude can contribute to this.
Here are 7 holistic tips to combat that “blah” feeling during your working week
1. Make working flexibly work for you
What does “working flexibly” really mean? Does it mean you’re no longer chained to a desk in an office, but chained to your desk at home instead? It shouldn’t.
Throughout the pandemic, research has shown that working remotely has resulted in an increase in productivity for office workers.[1] It’s important that we aren’t replacing our commuting and “water-cooler socialising” by adding more work tasks onto our plates.
Flexible working looks different for everyone. What you need to consider is what environment helps you perform at your best and make that work for you. That could mean working from a café each morning whilst you have your coffee. It could be logging on after school drop off or taking an hour out to do school pick up and then logging back on in the afternoon from 5-6pm. It could be working from a family/friend’s home once a week if you live alone or working from an elderly relative’s house once in a while to keep them company.
It’s important to think about what flexibility can really mean for you.
2. Micro and macro breaks– are you really taking a break?
All of us will probably have a lunch break today. But are you stepping away from work during that lunch break? If, over your lunch break you’re dialling into a meeting and calling it a lunch break because you’re eating during the meeting, this isn’t a break.
Have you thought about taking a micro break rather than a macro break to recharge? A macro break is stepping out for lunch (away from devices), going for a walk or (if you’re working from home) maybe doing a load of laundry for 15 minutes. A “micro break” is a short break of 5 minutes or less. Some recent research out of the US, has shown that microbreaks are a great way to maintain your energy levels throughout the day.[2]
A microbreak is not just stepping away from your computer for a few minutes. It’s what you do in this small break that makes the difference. Here are some micro breaks you could try:
- Close your eyes and take 5 deep breaths
- What nature can you see outside your window? Set a timer for 3 minutes to see how many different plants/animals you can name
- Have a pet? Spend a few minutes chatting to/patting your furry friend
- Call a work colleague and have a chat about something non-work related
Sometimes the hardest thing with taking a break (whether micro or macro) is making sure you do it. The answer here is not rocket science – treat your break like a work task – schedule it in!
3. Finding your flow – life is about more than work
Organisational psychologist Adam Grant does a great TED talk[3] about moving out of “languishing” and into finding your flow, he mentions the “3 M’s”. Mindfulness, mastering and something that matters.
He provides the example of playing Mario Kart with his kids and extended family. Life is about more than work. Some of us “find flow” in our day-to-day tasks at work. But let’s be real – a lot of us don’t.
What do you do, outside of work where you feel like you are “in flow”? How are you building in time for this over your working week?
4. Being social
The pandemic has really put a dent in how we interact with others. Zoom wine tastings and online trivia nights are just not the same.
Social connection is an important part of your health and wellbeing[4].
At work, social connection is often the small daily interactions. If you’re working remotely – think about how you could create these. It could be as simple as arriving (whether remote or face to face) to a meeting a minute or two early to ask your colleagues how their day has been so far.
Outside of work, do you have a friend who maybe you haven’t spoken to in a while? Give them a call! Missing seeing a group of friends, reach out and ask if they’d like to catch up!
5. Practise NEAT
It’s time to think less about exercise and more about NEAT.
NEAT stands for “non-exercise activity thermogenesis” and is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating, or undertaking intense exercise. Research shows that increasing your NEAT is a great way to increase your health and wellbeing.[5]
Much like taking “micro-breaks” increasing your NEAT is about building exercise into your day-to-day routine. This can be just as effective at managing your energy levels and overall wellbeing as a 30-minute session at the gym. Examples of NEAT include:
- Walking the kids to school rather than driving
- Taking the stairs instead of the lift
- Parking the car further away from the shops
- Taking a micro-break to do some stretches
6. The impact of a good night’s rest
Much like exercise, we all know that getting 7-9 hours of sleep is good for you. But don’t underestimate the impact it has on your working day. If you’re the kind of person that needs a double shot espresso just to get out of bed, consider how you might want to work on your energy levels through increasing your sleep quality.
Being aware of the things that will promote good sleep, and things that will work against you will help you manage your sleep and gradually work towards a quality sleep every night. Want to learn more? Here is a list of 10 great books that you can read on sleep – maybe even whilst trying to catch some more ZZZ’s!.
7. An attitude of gratitude
Did you know that being grateful releases dopamine in your brain and makes you feel good? It also increases your energy levels, and even helps you live longer.[6] In short, it feels good to say thank you.
One of the best ways you can utilise gratitude at work to increase your energy levels is by sharing it. Was there a time recently you really appreciated a colleague and the work they did? Tell them! Is there an opportunity to provide some positive feedback about a delivery of a project timeline being met – share it! This way, you are lifting the energy not just of yourself but of those around you.
So… what are you going to do to improve your energy levels this week? Don’t overthink it. Pick just one of the tips from this list and take a small step. See whether you notice a difference in how you feel at the end of the day
Author: Alicia Gibbs – Claims Rehabilitation and Wellness Manager
[1] https://nbloom.people.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj4746/f/wfh.pdf
[2] https://doi.apa.org/record/2021-21343-001?doi=1
[3] https://www.ted.com/talks/adam_grant_how_to_stop_languishing_and_start_finding_flow?language=en
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/
[5] https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-61552-3_7
[6] https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-happiness-research/