Your day starts off well enough. You power through your morning meetings, tackle your Inbox, find your productivity “zone”—and then you hit the wall. Your brain gets fuzzy, the candy jar starts looking better and better, and all you can think about is everything BUT the task at hand. Yeah, we’ve all been there.

It’s not unusual to need an afternoon recharge, but you don’t need to resort to a third cup of coffee to get past the slump. Here are a few ways to get back on track faster.

Get Outside

You’re not doing your body any favors by sitting at a desk all day, so take a quick walk around the block to get some life back in those legs. Better yet, make your next meeting a walking meeting so you and your coworker can get some fresh air and maybe even some fresh ideas.

Clean Up Your Desk

Is your desk clutter resulting in mental clutter? Take a few minutes to wipe the slate clean. Organize your paperwork, dust off your keyboard, reorganize. Organized desk = organized brain.

Stretch

We can’t all get to the gym for a major sweat session, but we can take a minute to let our bodies breathe. At BrainStorm HQ, we’re big fans of Radio Taiso to get us together and moving.

Do Something with a Group

We guarantee you’re not the only one who’s struggling at this time of day, so rally a few coworkers for a round of foosball or some other quick group activity. A little healthy competition will reset your brain and get you amped up to tackle your next task.

Learn Something New

Falling into a routine can create that stalled feeling that slows us down in the afternoon. Exercise your brain by learning a new keyboard shortcut or skill that can help you streamline your workday. Not sure where to start? We've got a few ideas.