When the afternoon turns heavy
Early afternoon, and something in the body often eases off. On a hot day it can feel heavier still.
The slump turns up whether or not you've eaten. Research points to a natural dip in alertness in the early afternoon, part of the body's daily rhythm.
Add heat, and the body is also busy keeping cool, sending blood to the skin and sweating it out. Some people find that's when the heaviness really lands.
Where do you feel yours first?
What you'll need
- A few minutes in the afternoon
- Somewhere to sit, in the shade if you can find it
Method
When the slump comes, let it. Instead of reaching for coffee or pushing through, pause where you are.
Move your attention slowly down through the body. The eyes, the jaw, the shoulders, the legs. Notice where the heaviness has settled, and how warm each part feels.
Give it a week of afternoons, and notice whether the heaviness lands in the same places each time, or moves, and what the heat seems to do to it.