By Kristine Peter – The Adventure Nutritionist
There’s a moment in the workday that creeps up like clockwork. Around 2:00 pm, emails slow down, energy dips, and the coffee machine gets a solid workout.
Most people chalk it up to tiredness, stress, or just needing a break. But the truth is, that afternoon slump isn’t just a part of office life. It’s often caused by how we’re fuelling our bodies.
While there are a few different reasons for the slump (yes, hydration and sleep matter too), one of the most overlooked causes is how little energy people eat before lunch.
In fact, if you’re getting less than 15% of your day’s food intake before 11 am, you’re more likely to experience fatigue, brain fog, and low motivation later in the day.
Consider this – even though your brain is only about 2% of your body weight, it uses between 20-30% of the energy we get from food. The main energy source our brain uses is glucose, something our body does not store very well, and needs to be replenished daily.
It’s a bit like expecting the car to run without petrol, that’s how our brains feel without fuel.
When you skip breakfast or run on just coffee and a snack, your body is playing catch-up all morning. By the time lunch arrives (particularly if its something heavy or high in refined carbs) you’ve got a blood sugar spike, followed by a crash. Combine that with natural circadian rhythms, and suddenly you’ve got a whole team dragging their heels mid-afternoon.
What’s the fix? It isn’t more coffee.
It’s smarter fuelling earlier in the day. Try something simple like a high-protein breakfast, a snack with fibre and carbs mid-morning, or just spreading meals more evenly.
This one shift can make a huge difference in how people feel and perform through the rest of the workday.
Of course, the afternoon slump has a few causes. But the good news is, there are also simple, evidence-based solutions.
If you’re ready to change how your team feels at 2pm, my WorkWell training might be a good place to start. It’s short, practical, and built to fit into a busy workday. We also have a free community for people who want to stay connected and keep learning. It’s called The WorkWell and you join us any time HERE.
I’m Kristine Peter, Nutritionist, educator, and believer that food should fuel your work and your life.
Get in touch at kris@kristinepeter.com or visit www.kristinepeter.com to learn more.
