Getting through the trough: How you can leverage physical activity to re-energize in the afternoon

Many of us are familiar with the afternoon trough. It’s 3 pm, there’s important work to do. We had planned to be done by the end of the day. Yet, after a busy morning, we’re hardly able to keep our eyes open. A common tactic is to ignore that feeling of exhaustion and push through that trough. I used to do that almost every workday. Yet, at 4 pm, I would wearily realize that I had not made any progress on my work.

The reason is our circadian rhythm. Like a 24-hour internal clock, it runs in the background of our brain, alternating between alertness and sleepiness at regular intervals. As a result, our ability to think changes predictably throughout the day, and most of us reach a natural trough around 3 pm – no matter how hearty or healthy our lunch was.

Instead of pushing through that trough, a somewhat counterintuitive but much better remedy is to re-energize your mind by using your body. This works by doing light or medium physical activity for 20-30 minutes, such as getting some chores done, taking a brisk walk, or engaging in exercise. 

Physical activity is excellent for getting through the trough for three reasons: First, it provides you with a mental escape from whatever your mind was dealing with before, thus helping it recover. Second, physical activity releases natural pain-relieving substances, which give you a feeling of calm. Third, it blunts your blood glucose levels after a meal, and thus helps you be more alert and productive in the afternoon. 

In short, light to medium physical activity is great to re-energize your mind when you hit the trough. So instead of pushing through it, get some chores done, take a brisk walk, or engage in exercise for 20 to 30 minutes. You’ll surely recoup that time in gained productivity later in the afternoon.

Pro tip:Those ambiguous rings and pings will keep you from getting the most recovery and calm out of your physical activity. Thus, a good practice is to leave your smartphone at your office, home, or in another room when doing your chores, brisk walks, or exercise.