I sometimes find myself dragging through the afternoon, my body unable to drive forward other than through sheer will on my part. People call this the “afternoon slump,” and if you’re a normal human being, it probably affects you, too.

With all the projects on my plate and others fighting to wedge themselves in, I got tired of being tired – several years ago I started looking for ways to beat the slump.

The quick and easy solution has been to drink a Monster drink (esp. the low-carb energy drink without all the sugars). I’ll also down one of those “5-Hour Energy” drinks from time to time. These are loaded with vitamin B6 and B12 which provide a sustained, natural boost without a caffeine buzz.

Unfortunately, the 5-hour boost sometimes extends itself into an eight- or ten-hour boost, and I find myself wide awake at 2 AM, plowing through a stack of reading or listening to Billy Mays telling me “but wait, there’s more!”

In search of other pick-me-up ideas that won’t keep me up for the late night infomercials, I discovered essential oils. For years I pretty much hogwashed the idea of smelling something and having it give me a boost. I thought the idea of sniffing rosemary oil, peppermint oil, and even orange peel oil was just so much snake oil.

Although these oils don’t deliver the same impact of an energy drink, they do help me through the “afternoon slump.”  Following advice from mothernature.com, a few drops on a handkerchief is all that’s needed. 

Essential oil of Rosemary reminds me of a Vick’s inhaler, so I add a drop or two of the Peppermint for a bit of zip. (Remember, this is “essential oil of …” not the extracts one uses in cooking.)

Yeah, for all those years of being too macho to even try something like this, I probably burned away a lot of efficiency. I thought essential oils were for sissies. Now I view them as the oil that lubricates the gears of my productivity.  Sissies, beware.

PS.  You can find other afternoon “pick me up” tips at mothernature.com

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Filed in Work, Motivation, Health Care, Workplace, Corporate Culture