Habits Which Are Contributing to Your 3pm Crash

I’ve been there: the dreaded 3pm crash. You’ve been powering through all morning, and suddenly hit a wall. You feel like you need that coffee or chocolate bar to get you through the remainder of the afternoon.

But what I didn’t realise was that I didn't need to put up with feeling like this! ‘Small’ habits were contributing to this pattern and making things worse than they needed to be. So, once I identified what these were and how to change them, my afternoons suddenly looked very different.

Making myself a coffee used to be one of the first things I did after waking up in the mornings. What started as a delicious addition to my morning routine, quickly became a mindless everyday habit.

What I didn’t realise was that this could have been contributing to my low energy levels and afternoon crashes.

When we wake up, our bodies go through a transition process – causing a slow & steady rise in cortisol to naturally wake us up. By drinking a coffee first thing, I was unknowingly disrupting this process – potentially contributing to a spike in cortisol and compromising my body’s ability to wake up naturally.

Another point of consideration here is hydration. When we wake up, rehydrating ourselves (i.e., drinking water) is really important. And if we aren’t well hydrated, we're likely to feel pretty groggy by the afternoon. As a diuretic, coffee can contribute to dehydration - so, by starting my morning in this way, I wasn't doing my body any favours!

So, yes – enjoy a cup of coffee in the mornings if you wish! But ideally look to have it after (a) you’ve woken up naturally, and (b) you’re well hydrated.

I love my breakfasts, so this isn’t something I did a lot…but when I did, I would notice a dip in my afternoon energy levels.

Our breakfast is really powerful in laying the foundations for our day - including in respect of our energy & subsequent food choices. In my experience, this means that when we skip breakfast (or opt for something ‘sweet & snacky’ rather than a proper meal), our energy is likely to suffer. We’re likely to experience increased cravings for energy-dense foods/caffeine, and potentially less stable blood sugar regulation. This combination can lead to a viscous cycle of energy spikes & crashes throughout the day.

So, regular breakfasts (which are nutritionally balanced) get a big tick from me!

Out of bed and straight to our desks – I know this routine can be temping, especially with so many of us working from home . But doing so might be contributing to your 3pm crash for two key reasons: lack of light & lack of movement. 

Firstly, exposure to light is the primary way in which our body distinguishes day from night. Therefore, it's also the primary way in which our body knows when to wake us up vs. when to help us wind down. So, getting up and going straight to our desks starves our bodies of natural light. In my experience, this makes it far harder to wake up naturally & feel energised and focused throughout the working day.

Secondly, this routine deprives us of significant movement in the mornings (e.g., a walk, a stretch or intentional exercise). Movement is one of the main ways in which we can energise our bodies; in fact, when we exercise, we develop more 'energy production centres' in our cells.

So, the 'bed to desk' routine which deprives us of both light & movement may make it significantly more difficult to wake up properly, which can have knock-on effects on our energy throughout the day.

Want to learn about what’s contributing to your energy crashes & how to tackle the root cause? Let’s chat.