America collectively crashes every day at 2:06 PM. According to a survey of 2,000 adults, that’s when energy levels bottom out and your post-lunch workday becomes an interminable slog that makes you wish you could just take a quick nap in your cubicle so you can recharge a bit before tackling the tail end of your day.
On average, respondents to a survey conducted by Talker Research said they would need to double their current energy just to keep up with daily life. Three-quarters of respondents believe they would earn more money if they had higher energy levels, and 71 percent say they would simply be happier.
The older the respondent, the worse the problem. Forty-four percent reported that their energy has declined overall over time. Fatigue overall is reshaping how Americans live outside of work, with nearly half of respondents saying they don’t have enough energy to exercise as often as they want. Physical activity is the most common first thing to go when trying to recuperate from the madness of it all, even though, cruelly, consistent physical activity can make you feel more energized throughout your day.
Socializing is the next thing on the chopping block, with about a third of respondents saying that low energy keeps them from spending time with friends. Others say they skip outdoor activities or home-cooked meals because they are too drained to care. They just want their food squeezed into their mouth via tube as they attempt to fuse themselves to a couch or bed.
Almost half of the respondents say they’re too tired to do things they enjoy, and more than half say low energy interferes with getting things done at all. One in four respondents says that a full workday leaves them completely wiped out, unable to do anything meaningful with their free time. Instead, they vegetate to recuperate, just to do it all over again the next day.
Anyone who has spent any time “relaxing” also understands the guilt that comes with “relaxing.” You want to spend a day resting, avoiding productivity as much as possible, knowing that productivity will just add to your exhaustion, but you can’t enjoy it because you feel guilty for having neglected a self-care routine, your messy home, or for not being there for friends and family.
Americans are not at a loss for the things they’re missing out on; we just don’t know how to fix it, according to the research.
That led the researchers to the obvious ultimate question: what would study participants do if they had unlimited energy? Their answers overwhelmingly had nothing to do with career advancement or productivity. People want to spend time with more friends and family.
The capitalist hustle culture dream is one shared by only a few who are clearly trying to fill some gaps in themselves and their lives. The rest of us want to work just enough to be able to pay our bills, maybe a little bit more, and then devote the rest of our energy to the things that really matter, which aren’t things at all. They’re people.
That 2:06 PM energy crash is a symptom of a larger problem: modern life is way more demanding than any of us wanted it to be, and we’re all finally starting to agree on that.
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