More than half of Brits experience an afternoon slump – lasting 72 minutes from precisely 2:17pm, according to a study.
A poll of 2,000 adults found they have an average of one lull a week, with Wednesday being the most common day for this to occur.
Getting a coffee (32%), going for a walk (30%), and watching TV (21%) were among the top remedies used to break this feeling.
But more than a fifth use the slightly less common tactic of splashing their face with cold water.
Nearly one in five (17%) take time out to chat with a friend or family member to pep themselves up, while others share a snack with a loved one (14%), have a hug (10%), or pick up the phone (13%).
Charlotte Parkes, spokeswoman for French biscuit brand LU, which commissioned the survey, said: “We all know how special it is to spend time with our nearest and dearest, even if it’s just for an afternoon coffee.
“Our new research truly highlights how much it can give us that little extra oomph – especially as the dreaded afternoon slump is common for so many of us.”
The study also found that, when added up over the course of the year, the equivalent of six-and-a-half-days are spent in an unproductive slumber.
And those questioned feel tired (55%), sluggish (50%), and unmotivated (43%).
Scots are the first to experience the slump, with tiredness hitting Edinburgh locals as early as 1:32pm – almost an hour before Liverpudlians, who only start to slow down at 2:39pm.
And the Welsh take the longest to recover, with those from Aberystwyth recording the longest lull of more than two hours.
There could be something in the sea air, however – as those from Portsmouth and Brighton and Hove snap out of their mid-afternoon slump in just 61 minutes.
It also emerged 70% of those who have returned to the office post-pandemic find the office banter and comradery has helped improve the slumps they experienced when working from home.
Outside the workplace, 39% arrange more spontaneous face-to-face catch ups than they did before the pandemic.
And nearly a quarter (23%) of those polled, via OnePoll, are more likely to diarise virtual catch-ups with friends who live further afield.
TV presenter Fred Sirieix, who has partnered with the brand to promote the arrival of the biscuits to the UK, said: “During my childhood in France, taking a short break in the afternoon was commonplace and something I continue to do.
“I’m really pleased to be working with LU to introduce the French concept of “Le Goûter” this side of the channel – a snack with some oh la la, set to transform your afternoon.”
