Afternoon Slump No More! Daily Routines for Healthy Boundaries in Florida

The afternoon slump. You’ve felt it. Nodding off or zoning out at your desk. 

We’ve talked about morning routines. A way to get your day started on the right foot. To help you ease into whatever the day brings with clarity and calm. How lovely! But, did we really discuss habits? 

Habits Help Us Thrive, or Keep Us Stuck

Habits come in many forms. Good. Bad. Healthy. Unhealthy. And, habits are exactly what successful people develop in strategic and intentional ways. Let’s think about it. The books aren’t called, “Atomic good ideas”, “Badass considerations”, or “7 tasks of highly successful people”. Nope. Habits. All of it.

Habits Help Provide Healthy Boundaries

Our habits become the guideposts throughout our days that tell us when certain things are “supposed” to happen. For example, if you make a habit of popping right out of bed in the morning, you know it’s time to start your day! Or, if you make a habit of hitting snooze 3 times, you know it’s time to reluctantly roll out of bed. See how those little changes make a difference? Your mindset around this matters. Even if you don’t realize you are influencing yourself in this way. 

“In every moment, you have the profound ability to make choices that will completely change your habits either right away to over time” — Jen Sincero, Badass Habits

Boundary management throughout the day makes us more productive and efficient

Moving through your day with a quality morning routine, great workflow, and a self-care practice to unwind at night are great. They provide you with the healthy boundaries you need to get your life set up the way YOU want it to be. If you can get those three things down, you’re doing way better than most people right now! But, if you’re ready to level up and elevate your day even further, I highly recommend getting your afternoon habits in line too.

Avoiding the Afternoon Slump: Healthy Boundaries Through Habits

That afternoon slump is no joke. You were working hard, handling your stuff like the boss babe you are, and boom. You hit a wall. Staying focused is hard. Your body hurts. You can’t keep your eyes open and just need a nap. Unfortunately, that’s simply not feasible for most of us. So, we need a “pick me up” that will actually work. Not just trick our brains into thinking we’re getting what we need when we aren’t. Sorry, caffeine.

Instead of a cheap substitute that only works for a while, a quality afternoon routine will become a transition process for our brain. These rituals help us get into the proper headspace to keep doing what we need to throughout the afternoon. Remember, your mindset matters in this. Choose afternoon rituals and routines that make you happy and give you energy. If you have a job that is highly technical or analytical, give yourself a “brain break”. If your job is more creative, do a task that will feel grounding. It doesn’t always have to be something “opposite”, but if you find yourself in a true “slump”, that may be helpful. Mixing it up is always a good idea when trying to give yourself a natural energy boost!

Afternoon Habits for Success

You may like any, all, or none of these suggestions. But, my hope is that they at least get you thinking about what is possible. How your afternoon routine and habits might shift so your work may be that much more in “flow”.

• nourish yourself
• have your meals away from your desk or work area
• take a walk outside or stand when you get to feel the sun.
• stretch or do a few minutes of yoga
• drink 8oz of water
• do a guided breathing or meditation exercise
• spend 3-5 minutes in a “power pose”
• apply lotion, hand cream, brush your teeth and/or hair, or touch up your makeup to feel more “fresh”

While these activities can take just a few minutes to do, you will feel the incredible power of taking a few minutes to reset. To center yourself back to your breath and have your bodily needs met. This will give you lasting fuel for the next few hours. Then, as you keep up with this practice, it becomes a habit. And, ultimately a healthy boundary for your long-term success and well-being.

I would love to know how this works for you! Comment below, or contact me to talk through things a bit more. ~Enid

Begin Counseling for Women in Miramar, FL or Start Online Therapy in Florida

If you are looking for a therapist who specializes in helping women, look no further. Enid is here to support your mental health journey. To begin therapy for women in Broward County in-person or for online therapy in Florida, follow these three steps:

1. Contact Counseling Solutions of Boward to schedule your free 20-minute consultation on a video platform,

2. Meet with Enid and get to know her! 

3. Live life with more balance and healthy boundaries!

Other Therapy Services Offered at Counseling Solutions of Broward