Why are you always tired at your office job?

You've only been at your desk for 3 hours, you slept well, you've had 2 cups of coffee, and yet you still feel completely drained. If that sounds familiar, your working environment and daily habits are likely behind it. The good news is that most of these things are easy to sort out, so you can start feeling better at work.

Key points

• When you sit still for too long, your blood flow slows down. That alone can make you feel exhausted, even if you haven't done much.
• Staring at a screen tires your eyes too, but the 20-8-2 rule gives them a good rest every half hour.
• A heavy lunch can make you feel sleepy after eating. Meals with more protein and fibre help keep your energy steady.
• Stress can make you very tired even when you're just sitting still. A quick stretch often helps more than another cup of coffee.
• The best way to stay sharp is to keep moving. Swapping between sitting and standing helps top up your energy throughout the day.

Why does sitting at a desk all day leave you tired?

How can sitting wear you out? It feels easy, and that's exactly the issue.

When you stay still for hours, your blood flow slows, and less oxygen reaches your brain and muscles. Slouching also makes your breath shallower, so you get less air, and less oxygen means less energy. Because sitting doesn't feel like hard work, the tiredness sneaks up on you.

A Desktronic height-adjustable desk should nudge you to shift positions throughout the day. If you're considering one, it helps to know what to look for in a standing desk before you choose.

Does staring at a screen all day make you tired?

Much more than you might think. Our eyes are made to see everything around us, which becomes a problem when you spend 8 hours a day looking at a screen.

By mid-afternoon, your eyes might feel sore and heavy, almost like you've been outside in a cold wind. Staring at a screen keeps your eyes in one place for hours, so they dry out and lose focus. Over time, this strain makes your head feel foggy.

An easy fix costs nothing. Use the 20-8-2 rule every half hour: sit for 20 minutes, stand for 8, and move for 2. Standing up breaks your focus but gives your eyes the rest they need.

Why do you feel sluggish after lunch at work?

That's probably a sugar crash after lunch. A meal full of bread, pasta, or sweets raises your blood sugar, then drops it quickly, pulling your energy down. Before you know it, you're nodding off at your screen long before the day ends.

Replace some carbs with protein, fibre, and a little healthy fat, and that sugar spike smooths out, so your blood sugar stays steady, and so does your focus. A better lunch can help your afternoon more than 3 cups of coffee.

Can stress at work leave you tired?

Stress uses up your energy even when you're sitting still. When small worries stay in your mind all day, your brain never really rests, and that often causes the afternoon slump.

When you're mentally tired, what you need is a break, not more caffeine. Try standing up, stretching slowly, or stepping away from the screen to take a few deep breaths. A little movement breaks the stress cycle and clears your head much better than another cup of coffee.

How do you stop feeling tired at work?

I'll be honest, I used to put every problem down to poor sleep and a lack of exercise. Both matter, but the funny thing was that I usually felt fine first thing in the morning. The tiredness only kicked in after lunch, no matter how much coffee I'd had.

When I changed jobs and the new office had a good ergonomic setup, I started standing during calls and while checking emails. The first week felt a bit strange, almost uncomfortable, but after a while, my body got used to it. When I stand, I shift my weight from one foot to the other, and it encourages me to walk over to a colleague instead of sending another message. Moving around kept my blood flowing and my mind clearer. Most of the time, what we really need is to move a little more.

The real cause for me was sitting too much and hardly moving. Switching to a standing desk made that change easier, and that's why I keep using it. If you're interested, the energy benefits of a standing desk go beyond what you might expect. And if you still feel exhausted after changing your habits, talk to your doctor.