The Hardest Part of the Day

I don’t care what you try to tell me – the Mexicans** are GENIUSES!

**I’m fully aware that I’m stereotyping here… but it is necessary for my story. And since it IS my story….

After transitioning to my current responsibilities at work, I’ve discovered what I like to call the Brick Wall. This is something that I tend to encounter every afternoon at about 2:30. This brick wall is not one that you will find as an architectural structure or feature, but rather one that seems to knock me out.

You see, my new job has a lot of preparation time for activities that eventually happen – or sometimes get cancelled entirely. So I spend a good portion of most days reading and typing, trying to understand the upcoming activities. I have meetings in the morning, but not too many in the afternoon, and it seems like most of the excitement happens before lunch.

At Noon I typically leave my desk for an hour-long lunch break. I typically go home for lunch and prepare something quick and easy. “Quick and easy” doesn’t always mean “healthy and nutritious”, but I do make an effort to eat fairly healthy and balanced.

When I get back to work, I’m always excited to see what emails have arrived in my absence. I’m starting to learn, though, that EVERYone else takes an hour-long lunch break at Noon, too, so there typically aren’t any emails for me to review and address. So I return to my reading and other preparations.

And this is when I hit the Brick Wall.

It’s as if someone walks by my desk with a tranquilizer gun or something… at 2:30, I CANNOT keep my eyes open. I start to nod-off, which I’m sure entertains anyone that sees it, including the guy that sits across the hall from me that can see directly into my cubical at all times, and I eventually have to get up and walk around the office to get over it.

Other than the monotony of my job, though, I can’t figure out what is causing it! I’ve tried eating different foods at lunch. I’ve doubled-up and/or laid-off the caffine. I’ve tried listening to a completely different genre of music. I’ve tried sitting cross-legged in my chair, hoping that the discomfort would help keep me awake. I JUST CAN’T SEEM TO BEAT IT.

So this is why the Mexicans are so smart – they don’t fight it. They embrace it. Can you say “siesta”? (Hint: SEE-ess-tah) I hereby vote to have a siesta every afternoon for the remainder of my career.

(The sad thing is that there is a “rest area” at work where we are allowed to drop in and take a brief nap during the day. I’ve yet to even open the door to this room, but I may start to investigate it very soon…)