We all know that feeling when 3 p.m rolls around, and it becomes indescribably difficult to finish the days work. Our eyes start glossing over the screen, our bodies begin to get irritable in our chairs, and our minds cant help but tune out any notification. Kindly put, all hell breaks loose.
This feeling of depletion as the afternoon approaches and the day winds up actually has a scientific basis. We are constantly switching gears between different tasks during the day, which engages multiple stimuli in our brain and can lead to overwhelm. Our brains neurotransmitters, like the ones that signal pleasure and reward, are also at their lowest point around 3 p.m., Dr. Tara Swart, a neuroscientist and chief science officer at Heights tells Fortune. (We actually feel the sleepiest between 1 and 3 p.m based on our circadian rhythm, along with between 2 and 4 a.m.). Imagine starting the day with a mug filled to the brim with coffee or tea. As the day rolls on, the more energy we exert, the more we begin to drain that cup.
Every time you make a decision, every time you feel an emotion, every time you recall a memory, when you focus on a task, youre sipping from that mug, she says.
Depletion can feel like simple tasks becoming that much harder, physical and mental exhaustion, and irritability. In some cases, the body can even get run down and physically sick, says Dr. Jessica Stern, a clinical assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at NYU Langone Health.
Depletion is a drained, empty feeling of why am I doing all of this, Swart says, which is exacerbated by the infinite ways we are technologically connected to one another at all hours of the day and the blurred boundaries between home and work.
So while we drink from our mugs slowly throughout the day, the constant stimulation of our everyday lives simultaneously drains our mugs.
Imagine that theres a crack at the bottom of the mug, and some of the waters just seeping out anyway, not because Im making a decision, but just because life is so stressful, Swart says.
For Ross Dawson, author of the new book Thriving on Overload: The 5 Powers for Success in a World of Exponential Information, its thankfully not our fault that we feel depleted. We are being overrun with content that drains us rather than energizes us at every waking hour.
The whole world is almost designed to make us feel like we cant keep up, he says, adding that if we try to keep up, we may spend our whole lives doing so.
When we are constantly chasing to keep up, we look forward to the morning when we will have more energy. But like clockwork, we feel depleted again the next day.
My dad has always emphasized that theres beauty in the journey over the destination. So maybe one way we can feel less depleted is by giving ourselves the grace to pause, be mindful of where we are, instead of trying always to keep up and chase the future.
Experts in neuroscience, productivity, and futurism share how to feel more energized and less depleted at the end of the day:
Remember, we are only human
The first step in managing feelings of depletion is to acknowledge that it isnt possible to keep up with the world, Dawson says. At a certain point, we need to let go.
If we know our energy tends to decrease throughout the day, we have to listen to ourselves and the capacity we have to keep up, and ultimately accept that there may be certain things we have to forego. Is it letting go of the desire to get through every missed text, email or call before the day ends? Or is it letting go of the pressure to cook the most elaborate dinner when we get home? It can help to rank priorities and think about the things that you really want to get done, and make a less urgent section for other things that you can remind yourself are ok to not check off the list.
We do have to have this grace of being able to say, look, Im human Dawson says. There is almost a state of grace, of letting go, of saying, I can achieve an enormous amount, and that is enough.
Allow yourself to feel
Frankly, our idea that productivity starts right when we wake up and should manifest throughout the day doesnt allow us to, well, feel anything. It actually causes a backlog of unexpressed emotions and unacknowledged experiences that perpetuate depletion, says Dr. Gertrude Lyons, a senior life coach and director of family programs for The Wright Foundation for the Realization of Human Potential.
We have wiring and cultural beliefs that mistakenly warn us that we dont have time to acknowledge or express our feelings because they will distract us from the work at hand, so they build up, she says.
Take a pause throughout your day to check in with yourself, noticing if you feel fear, hurt, anger, sadness or joy, Lyons says, and consider sharing those feelings with a close friend or jotting them down.
Rest
Rest is a requirement not a reward, says Michelle Welch, a productivity coach, who stresses taking breaks during the day alongside getting adequate sleep every night.
Even taking 10 minutes to get up from your chair and walk around, take a deep breath or rest your head down can help center yourself, and even help you come to an idea or memory that will make you more productive during the rest of your day.
Theres so much maturity in slowing down and then picking back up again because what youre able to do is identify where those missing links are, she says. If you find yourself to be extremely exhausted at the end of the day, you may need to figure out a different way to do a to do list that might be a little bit easier for you to understand how to follow.
Whether thats working in 20-min intervals with 5-min breaks or taking a 10-min break every hour, find a routine that allows you to rest your mind.
You can achieve far, far more by spending time focused [and then] taking breaks, than you would if you just power through, Dawson says. When you can take a break and limit your attention to the breath, you actually train yourself to be more mindful and therefore more focused on your next task.
Set aside time to dive deep
If you limit your true focused timeor deep dive time as Dawson puts ityoure able to maximize the time you do have. The key is to structure that deep dive time to be alongside breaks, and not subconsciously get distracted during it, like ending up on social media or scrolling on another site that pops up on screen. With constant notifications, diving deep is more challenging but can prove effective.
To master the deep dive, its important to limit the time we scanor mindlessly end up distracted by things that arent giving us energy, something that can lead to the doom scrolling we know all too well. When one scroll leads to a plunge into your cousins best friends wedding photos, we know we may have scanned too much. Its not about eliminating our brains random half focused attention, but setting limits for when we will engage in mindless phone time and when we wont.
Because our willpower decreases during the day, Swart says its harder to be aware of the passage of time the more we are depleted. Consider setting limits to your phone or other potentially distracting tasks in the morning.
Prioritize relationships that give you energy
The way people make us feel matters.
Who are the people that check in on you? That asks you how youre doing and if youre doing ok? Who do you enjoy having a conversation with that brings you back to life after a long day versus contributes to the stress? Try to foster the relationships that help you calm down and make you feel supported. Recent research even shows that taking time to share a meal with those we care for can reduce our stress levels, and people report that their stress levels would decrease if they had a lunch break to eat with a coworker.
We need each other. We need community, and we need genuine community, Welch says.
What can we learn
If youre like me, it can feel like second nature to wake up and check your phone. Im usually bombarded with news alerts of the state of the world and texts or calendar reminders of whats to come that day. But starting the day off ankle deep in the phone doesnt set you up for successemails are rarely inspiring Dawson says. While news is part of my job, experts remind me to think about what I can incorporateand get rid ofin my day that will allow me to engage and learn rather than contribute to my depletion. Making time for an interesting investigative article, chapter of a book or seminar can engage us, boost our energy and give us the chance to see creativity and optimism instead of overload.
Starting in the morning with just 10 minutes of learning can help, and that looks as simple as being present. This doesnt need to be the most intellectual activity, but can be a short podcast or even phone call with someone. It can even be sitting on a park bench and observing the people who walk bylearning about whats around you and limiting that mindless scan.
Practice choice reduction
The more energy we exert being indecisive about our upcoming responsibilities, the more easily we can get depleted, Swart says. Choice reduction, or limiting the tasks you have to make active decisions on, like when we are in a rush in the morning, can help set you up for a more calming day, and save your energy for the choices that are more meaningful. Maybe this looks like packing your work bag or lunch or setting out your outfit for the morning the night before.
The feelings of depletionexhaustion, stress, and burnoutare so common. Finding ways to combat the dreaded feeling not only feels timely but imperative to help improve productivity, and allow us to enjoy our days without the pressure of getting everything done. The clock is hitting 5 p.m. as I wrap this piece up and I can feel my eyes starting to wander across the page. If I take my own advice, a true break is calling my name.
