致白领们：你有传说中的下午拖延症吗？

It’s 2:30pm and I’m procrastinating. The project is due by 5 o’clock and I can’t seem to find the motivation to get it done. This is a common problem for everyone. Whether working from home or an office, creating the next big startup or pushing papers for a corporation, we all procrastinate.

下午2:30，磨磨蹭蹭拖延中。项目5:00必须搞定，可我根本就提不起劲儿去做。这是很多人都遇到过的情况吧。不论是在家办公还是坐办公室，无论是策划下一个重大启动项目还是为公司文案绞尽脑汁，每个人都会拖延磨蹭。

The biggest reason you’re tired is because of physical or mental fatigue. When you’re tired you don’t have the motivation to work, so you end up procrastinating.

身心疲乏让你觉得累，而当你累的时候你根本没心工作，所以变得拖拉磨叽起来。

Foggy Mind

思维混沌

When your mind is in a foggy state, it prevents you from thinking straight. A foggy mind can be a headache or information overload. Whatever the form, it’s hard to get anything done when your mind isn’t working right.

当大脑变得混沌时，你根本无法清晰思考。大脑混沌可能表现为头痛或信息超载，不管形式如何，反正只要大脑运转不灵，你就无法完成任务。

No Motivation

毫无动力

If you’re not moving toward a goal, you can excuse myself from getting work done. You can do it tomorrow, right? If nothing is due or your to-do list is full of meaningless work, you might procrastinate.

要是不急着完成目标，你完全有理由把任务放一放，等明天再做，对吧？如果不必赶计划，或任务清单上都是无关紧要的事情，那你很可能就会变得拖拉起来。

Interruptions

干扰

Phone calls, emails, meetings or text messages can turn a quick break into an afternoon. If something urgent gets put on your desk, it could ruin the rest of your afternoon — it’s easy to slip into “why start if I know I’m going to get interrupted” mentality.

电话、邮件、会议或短讯很可能会在下午接二连三轰炸过来。要是手头正好有紧急任务，这些干扰极可能毁掉整个下午——你会陷入“早知道会被打扰干嘛还要开始”的心理状态。

Ways to deal with Afternoon Procrastination

解决“下午拖延症”的办法

Now you have some ideas why afternoon procrastination happens. Try these strategies to help deal with it and get more done.

现在你已经知道为什么会出现“下午拖延症”了，下面就试试这些方法去解决问题，争取搞定更多工作吧。

1. Prioritize tasks

任务优先化

The most common reason afternoon procrastination hits is because your tasks are not clear. Writing down what you have to do and which tasks are most important can help you refocus and get back to work.

造成下午拖延症的最常见原因就是：你的任务不够明确。把你需要完成的事情写下来，确定哪些任务比较重要，这样你就能重新把精力投入到工作中了。

2. Set a timer

设定计时器

Beat afternoon procrastination by setting a timer. Set a timer for 25 minutes and try your best to complete a single task in that time. If you fail to complete the task, write it down and set another 25-minute timer. The idea is that if you define how long a task will take, you will get it done in that amount of time (or close to it). I usually procrastinate in the afternoon because I don’t have any expectations how long it will take me to get my work done for the day, and because of that, I will end up working all afternoon and probably not get anything done.

设定计时器来战胜下午拖延症吧。设定25分钟时间，然后争取在这段时间内完成一项任务。要是没能完成任务，那就写下来再设定一个25分钟。如果你清楚某项任务大概要花多长时间，你就可以在大致时间段内去完成该任务了。我下午也常会拖拖拉拉，因为我从没想过完成当天工作到底需要多长时间，结果我整个下午都在忙活，到头还是没能把所有事做完。

3. Take a break

休息一会

Sometimes it’s easy not to stop and let your mind rest. When you choose to intentionally take a break and allow yourself to not focus on anything, it allows you to relax and prepare for the rest of the work day.

有时候停下来让大脑休息一会也不是那么容易。如果刻意暂停，要求自己不去关注任何事情，就能让你稍微休息一会儿，那么接下来的工作中你会变得很有精力。

4. Drink water

喝水

According to my doctor, we’re supposed to drink like 8 glasses of water per day. Even if you can’t chug down 8 glasses of water, you sure can get a glass or two down after lunch. Staying hydrated helps keep the mind clear and focused. All too often, afternoon procrastination comes from a foggy head which can be fixed with a glass of water.

在我的医生看来，人们每天大概要喝8杯水。就算你喝不到8杯水，午饭后至少也该喝一两杯。足量的水分有利于保持大脑清晰专注。通常，一杯水足以拯救混沌思维造成的下午拖延症。

5. Have a snack (the right kind)

吃点健康零食

Seeing that bag of Doritos may get you hungry, but junk food is the worst thing you can eat when trying to fight afternoon procrastination. Instead, choose nuts, fruit, or crackers. A light, healthy, snack can be just as helpful as a glass of water. The food offers a boost of (healthy) energy and also fights against a foggy mind.

看到那袋多力多滋玉米片你可能觉得饿了，但若想克服下午拖延症，千万不能吃这样的垃圾食品。相反，你应该选择坚果、水果或饼干。健康的小零食和一杯水一样，也很有益处。零食能补充能量，驱散混沌不清的思维。

6. Exercise at lunch

午餐时进行锻炼

Often when you’re able to get up and move around, your day is always better. When you go for a walk, it allows your brain to process the morning’s information and think through what you need to do the rest of the day. Exercise also works out the body from sitting in a chair all morning. Be careful not to over due it, because you want to make sure you have enough energy for the rest of the work day.

通常，如果你能站起来四处走动走动，那么这一天也会过得比较有精神。如果你能散散步，大脑就可以趁机反馈上午遇到的问题，然后思考接下来要做哪些事情。运动还可以活跃一下整个上午僵坐着的身体。但是，注意别运动过头，因为你必须留足够的精力处理下午的工作呢。

7. Take a nap

打个盹

There are some days you just can’t overcome afternoon procrastination. You’ll go through everything you know to do and your body still doesn’t want to keep working. When that happens, you know it’s time to take a nap. You usually can recognize the need for a nap if you’ve slept poorly the night before, or you’re going through a major life decision or big project that is taking a lot of mental energy. Whatever the reason, set a timer for 20 or 40 minutes (depending on the available time) and lie down. Some days it’s not possible, but when it is, taking a nap really helps refresh the mind and get back to work when you wake up.

有时候你就是没法克服下午拖延症。你试过了所有知道的办法，可身体就是运转不起来。这时，你就该打个盹儿了。如果你前一天晚上睡得不好，或者遇到需要大量精力的重大人生决策或项目，那你应该清楚自己需要小睡一会儿了。不管理由为何，不妨把计时器调到20-40分钟（视情况而定），躺下打个盹吧。有时情况不允许，但若有条件的话，打个盹真的能使大脑清醒，并让你重新投入到工作中去。