Finding afternoon routine ideas that are easy to follow and realistic can be hard to find. But… it doesn’t have to be! Never let your afternoon feel like a blur again with these simple routine ideas.
With so many things on your afternoon to-do list, it can be challenging to have afternoon routine ideas that you follow daily. Yet, in order to have a productive afternoon, you need to follow a system of daily habits that set you up for success. Whether you are looking to practice a healthy afternoon routine, or are looking for an effective afternoon routine for students, each of these top 10 ideas will motivate you to have a more effective afternoon.
You will learn the best afternoon routines so you can be successful. From making sure you eat a healthy lunch each day to writing down a to-do list for the next day to ensure you are getting everything you want to be done in a timely manner. There are so many little things you can incorporate into your mid afternoon routine.
After reading this post, you’ll have the best afternoon routines to use in your life to have a productive, balanced afternoon.
This post is all about the afternoon routine ideas you need to try.
Best Afternoon Routine Ideas
1. Eat A Healthy Lunch
My afternoon routine can sometimes fly by in a blur. Before you know it, it’s dinner time and you haven’t even eaten anything between your few cups of coffee and that muffin you quickly ate in between emails.
However, eating lunch is essential to fuel your body and make sure you are getting the energy you need to have a successful afternoon.
No matter if you have tons of emails to catch up on, a big school project to complete, or chores to get done, it’s essential you make and eat a healthy lunch. This will give you the energy to get all the activities you want done.
The last thing you want is to be sending out hangry emails on an empty stomach!
2. Get Sh*t Done
Do you struggle to get all the work you want done in a timely manner? Having a productive afternoon can be easier said than done.
Although you may constantly make a reasonable to do list, it can be hard to stay focused and complete all your tasks. However, want to know a way that will instantly boost your productivity?
2.5. Set Reasonable Time Expectations
Don’t get discouraged or set overly lofty time expectations to complete certain tasks.
For instance, if you have a school project to complete, likely setting just 15 to 30 minutes to complete the entire project won’t cut it.
That’s why, to ensure you aren’t underestimating the time it may take to complete a task, make sure you are setting a reasonable, comfortable amount of time you know it will take to complete one task at a time. This will ensure you are completing each task to the best of your ability. This will also make sure you are not getting discouraged if you consistently don’t meet your time goals.
On another note, don’t use your phone as your timer!!
I repeat, using your phone for anything productive, whether it be a productivity app you have on your phone or just using your phone’s stopwatch feature, will turn your productive afternoon into hours wasted scrolling on social media.
Although you may have good intentions in setting a timer on your phone, constantly looking at your phone’s timer will only make your productive afternoon worse.
3. HYDRATE
Want to drink more water throughout the day? Using a cute water bottle like this water bottle with time markings will serve as a visual reminder throughout your healthy afternoon routine to consistently drink water.
Drinking plenty of water will ensure you are hydrated, focused, and energized to get all your tasks done. If you don’t drink enough water, you’ll likely get a headache, feel foggy, feel exhausted, and not be as motivated to complete all your tasks.
Having a water bottle with time markings ensures you are constantly taking small sips of water throughout the day. Don’t just drink your entire water bottle in one quick sitting.
Having a water bottle on your desk or right beside you will serve as a good visual cue to drink.
You also need to have your water close so you are not constantly getting up out of your chair. This will only make you lose your train of thought.
{RELATED POST: 5 EASY ROUTINE EXAMPLES YOU NEED TO LIVE A HEALTHIER LIFE}
4. Be Active
It can be tempting to just sit at your desk all day and constantly work to get all your to do list items done. But, it’s essential you take a break when you are starting to feel unproductive or unmotivated to work.
This is a great time for you to put on a cute workout set and move! Go for a walk, take your dog 
in the backyard, whatever activity that will have you outside, moving around.
This is a great afternoon routine for students or adults because you are intentionally setting aside time for yourself.
Being active will allow you the necessary break away from your desk to reset and recharge. Get all the Vitamin D you need, move, sweat, and be active.
You’ll be back and better than ever to get all your tasks done after your exercise break.
5. Eat A Healthy Snack
Eat a healthy snack throughout the afternoon to maintain your energy. Consistently choosing to eat a healthy snack (granola bar, crackers, cereal) over unhealthy snacks will give your more energy and keep you focused.
Be sure to have your snack readily accessible next to your desk or wherever you work. That way, you won’t lose your train of thought when you want a quick bite to eat!
6. Take A Small Nap
Feeling tired and groggy? Not getting as much work done as you should be because you can’t seem to focus? Try taking a short, timed nap!
This will help you feel refreshed and recharged to get back to doing your best work.
And…. don’t just scroll on your phone while trying to fall asleep.
Instead, leave your phone in another room from where you’re trying to sleep. Otherwise, you may feel tempted to scroll on your phone.
Take a short nap, about 20 to 30 minutes max is all you need to feel recharged. This will provide just the right amount of recovery time to jump right back into your tasks.
7. Drink Coffee or Tea
Another mid afternoon routine pick-me-up is drinking coffee or tea. We LOVE the Tazo tea because it provides just the right amount of caffeine with a delicious taste. There are so many different flavors to try that you will never get bored from your mid afternoon tea break!
If you are more of a coffee drinker and have a Keurig, making a quick cup of coffee is the way to go! There are so many k cups varieties to try so you’ll never get bored. This also saves you time and money from going to Starbucks and getting a coffee.
8. Stop When You’re Just Getting To The Good Stuff
The best afternoon routines set you up for success for the next day. Yes, it’s great to get all your to do list items and more done all in one day, but it’s important to know when to stop. Stop your work when you are feeling good and happy as this will leave you wanting to get back to work the next day.
Don’t work until you are utterly exhausted, this can lead to burnout. Or, at the very least, you may get so tired you won’t want to do anything the next day.
Consistency is the key to productivity. Work doesn’t have to be this gruesome set of tasks that you have to keep working until you feel miserable.
End on a high note with your afternoon tasks so you can come back motivated and excited for tomorrow.
9. Make A To-Do List For Tomorrow
Having a to do list notepad where you can cross tasks off is a great motivator. Have a dedicated checklist to follow.
Don’t write down all your various tasks down on scraps of paper that you might easily lose. This will first make sure you are writing down all in one place everything you need to get done for a given day. This will also motivate you to cross off each task as you get them done.
A to do list is great because it not just sets you up for tomorrow afternoon, but keeps you accountable if you don’t get everything done.
Yes, it’s great to get all your to do list items and more done all in one day, but sometimes, we have bad days and that’s okay. However, don’t ignore and procrastinate on the things you didn’t get done or don’t want to do.
Writing these tasks down will serve as a physical reminder that you cannot keep pushing back a task. If you find you have the same tasks written down across multiple to do list days, focus on that one task first thing in the afternoon. Most people are more refreshed and productive at the start of their workday. Therefore, it’s a great idea to start your most difficult tasks at the start of your day. Then, when you get tired as your mid afternoon routine wears on, you’ll *hopefully* only have easy tasks to complete.
Don’t forget to also revise and make a new to do list at the end of your workday. These afternoon routine ideas will ensure you can jump right into all your tasks efficiently the next day.
10. Clean And Organize Your Desk
There’s nothing worse than starting your day off at a messy work desk. This desk organizer is a great way to provide much-needed organization and flow to your space. You need to have all your office space in a designated area. This way, when you use something, you can easily have a place to put it back without thinking.
For example, if you have a dozen pens but no place to put them, they will likely lay scattered on your desk. You also want to have a clean, comfortable workspace. You need to have a desk that is not littered with irrelevant items that take up the majority of your desk. These items will only clutter your space and make you lose focus easier.
This post was all about afternoon routine ideas you need to follow to have a productive afternoon.
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