If you read or listen to any kind of personal development content, you likely know that literally everyone and their mother has a morning routine – and how sacred they are.

I completely agree. I protect my morning routine fiercely. It gets me in the right mindset, energizes me, and prepares me to tackle my day, giving every ounce of myself I can give to my clients.

But then…around 2:00, it hits:

The inevitable productivity slump. (Dun, dun, dun…)

My day typically looks like this:

Wake up at 5:30 if I’m training clients, and 6:30 if I’m not. Make my morning elixir —> feed Niko while drinking it —> make coffee —> find blanket and drink coffee, listen to music, and either pray, journal, or read a book and journal. Then I move on to my work, either going into the gym to train clients, or writing programs, plans, creating content, etc.

I typically take a morning break around 10:00a for a workout, come back and shower, and then get back to it – until 2:00.

That’s where my afternoon routine comes in.

My Afternoon Routine to Stay Productive and Keep My Energy Up

[Tweet “My Afternoon Routine to Stay Productive and Keep My Energy Up via @TrainerPaige”]

When 2:00p rolls around, I’ve usually wrapped up a client consultation or two, and need a break. At this point, I lace up my sneakers – or my hiking boots – and get outside.

I live close to a nearby reservoir, so that’s usually my destination of choice. Other times I’ll hop in my car and drive over to Rabbit Mountain (pictured above) for a quick hike.

The thing is, it’s winter, and while Colorado isn’t known for blistering cold winters, we do have some days in the 20’s and 30’s every now and then. On these particular days, it can be hard to get outside.

One of my lovely clients, Kaelin, suggested bribing myself with a hot beverage, and I’ve been using that trick ever since.

Lipton recently sent me their new and improved green, black, and herbal teas to try, and I was super impressed with the different flavors now available.

I’ve found that purple acai blueberry is now my go-to pick-me-up after my walk.

If I’m going for a hike, I’ll make some tea in my Hydroflask and head out, sipping as I step.

At Rabbit Mountain, there’s this bench about half way up the mountain, and one of my absolute favorite things is to just sit and listen to how quiet and peaceful it is in the open space.

And if I don’t take it with me, I make a mug as soon as I get back in the house, and sip it as I get back to work.

That way, I’m back at my desk by 2:30 or 3, ready to get my productivity on again for the home stretch.

Now, when it comes to morning, I’m a huge coffee drinker. I drink at least a cup or two every single morning, but if I need a pick-me-up in the afternoon, there’s a bit too much caffeine in coffee, so I typically go for some black or green tea with honey.

This is the enticing chai, but the purple acai blueberry green tea is what I typically go to – it’s delicious! The flavor and aroma are refreshing and uplifting, and a great way to give me a little afternoon energy boost.

If I don’t necessarily need the caffeine, I’ve been sipping peach mango herbal tea. I am a sucker for any and every peach-flavored beverage – and this one does not disappoint. I’d say peach is the primary flavor in it, but it’s so good that I didn’t even need to add honey – and I love honey in tea.

There’s just something automatically relaxing about a steaming hot mug of tea, don’t you think?

You can check out the full line-up of Lipton’s Green, Black, and Herbal tea flavors here.

Do you have an afternoon routine? Do you break up your day with mini-breaks?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.