{This article is written in partnership with BON CHARGE—they believe wellness devices, like Red Light Therapy, should be simple, effective, and accessible to all—and we’re honored to work with them. ~ ed.} 

My mom kindly, and gently, informing me that I’m getting older is not where I saw my evening going when she and I sat down with a cup of chamomile tea and I snuggled into my chair after a long day.

“I don’t know why I’m not more tired!” I complained. It was late. I was tired. Exhausted, really. But I wasn’t sleepy. 

She asked me, ever-so-kindly, when I’d had my last caffeine that day and reminded me that I’m getting older, and I might not be able to drink what I want, when I want anymore. 

First thought? 

Second thought? 

Why was I drinking that caffeine so late in the day? 

Was it because I’m a sucker for a good Darjeeling? Because I couldn’t handle seeing tea go to waste if I didn’t drink the whole pot? Or was it because I was unknowingly fighting that monster we refer to as the dreaded “afternoon slump?”

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Honestly, I wasn’t consciously aware that I might be using my tea habit to combat an afternoon slump. Was I? I dug in. 

Turns out, that “afternoon slump” is a real, actual thing. It’s not just in our heads. And, it’s pretty darn predictable as well. Every day our body’s circadian rhythm and nervous system work in tandem to offer us an (unwanted) experience best described as a post-lunch dip in alertness and performance. 

Basically, from two to four in the afternoon, our brains want a break and we start to do the human equivalent of the dreaded PC blue screen of death. 

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

After lunch I tend to feel less sharp, making more mistakes and generally watching the clock for when I can find an excuse to get up and water my plants, or take a walk to try to wake myself up a little. And, it only gets worse around three o’clock. My focus begins to splinter and I, predictably, reach for another cup of tea. 

Mystery solved? Just call me Nancy Drew. (And, even if I hadn’t solved this mystery, can you just call me Nancy Drew anyway? Because, childhood hero and all that.)

But now, what to do about it? Again, I dug in.

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There are dozens of suggestions for beating the ominous afternoon slump that range from avoiding sugar and highly processed or fatty meals, to being sure to move your body since long periods of non-movement can cause what Google calls “dullness” in our alertness. Umm. No thanks. 

Seriously though, suggestions run the gamut: hydrate, take a power nap, limit caffeine (yeah, yeah), adjust your work routine to have low-focus work during the slump, etc. 

But all of these things felt like a) things I should be doing anyway (except for maybe the power nap while at work) and b) things that aren’t making much of a dent because I (mostly) do them already. 

I drink the caffeine, yes. We know this. But I make sure I don’t sit too long. I hydrate like a camel getting ready for a trip across the desert. Unknowingly, I have already made work routine adjustments. And, I eat a pretty darn clean vegan diet that doesn’t leave a lot of system grogginess after meals. 

So, what next? With a little more digging I uncovered “The Red Light Pick Me Up” from our Elephant Journal partner, BON CHARGE.

Color me intrigued. There have been studies that show that red light can enhance short-term performance during the day if used during daytime hours. Participants “demonstrated significantly reduced reaction times and higher throughput on cognitive tasks.”

There’s like, a whole lot of science involved, too. And more every day. 

The bonus? There’s no drugs. “Light, delivered at modest intensities and specific wavelengths, can modulate neural activity and cognitive function through wholly physiological pathways.”

But, what exactly is Red Light Therapy? 

Red light therapy, often referred to as RLT, is a therapy first discovered in 1967 by Dr. Endre Mester, who was the first to realize that low-level lasers could accelerate the healing of wounds. (Pretty cool.) In the 1990s, the technology was further expanded by NASA. (Even cooler.) 

RLT is a non-invasive therapy that exposes the body to a low dose of red and near-infrared light. Infrared light is invisible to our delicate human eyes, but the body detects it. We can feel subtle heat, and a warming sensation. Red light has similar properties to infrared, but we are able to see this light and it doesn’t produce any heat.

BON CHARGE notes that red light can support skin appearance, while near infrared light is more associated with supporting recovery and post-workout comfort. 

Using RLT requires a red light therapy device, such as a lamp or laser, to expose the skin to the beams of red spectrum light. And so, it’s only logical that it’s best to use the device on bare skin at the distance recommended in the user manual.

To be honest? I was super curious about this new method of healing and wellness and the doors it could open—if it worked—and, yes, I was skeptical of whether it would. 

And what about that afternoon slump? The experts at BON CHARGE say, “Red light, in the afternoon, does not soothe. It sharpens.” 

I decided to try it myself. 

I set up the Demi Red Light Therapy Device the day after I unboxed it and I just looked at the thing. It seemed simple enough. A power switch, a timer, and a choice of what light wavelengths to use. I set the timer for 10 minutes, slipped on the included goggles, and I…did absolutely nothing. For 10 minutes. It was glorious. 

I was in total darkness from the goggles and the sensory deprivation was strangely calming.

The first minutes ticked away and I felt…yep. I felt nothing. But I was relaxed by the end of the session and I had a little “pep” in my step for pausing in the middle of my day to do something for myself. It was self-care and honestly, if that self-care could result in better focus and performance at work and at home? Sign. Me. Up. 

I kept at it. 

The Demi Red Light Therapy Device is recommended to be used for 10 minutes at a time. Being the rule-follower that I  am (ha!), I did 10-minute sessions every other day or so—right when I was beginning to feel that slump hit me like an unwanted reminder of what was to come. 

In the first few sessions, I noticed a warmth and a tingling. I also noticed that on the days I did a RLT session I felt more energized in the later hours of the day, late afternoon and evening. Making dinner wasn’t such a chore and doing the dishes wasn’t an exhausting task I pushed off until late, or even the next day. I was able to complete more things on my “personal life” to-do list after work, rather than wait for the weekends. 

Promising? I’d say so. 

In the next few weeks I noticed that at about eight minutes into the session my neck would begin to relax. I would have the impulse to drop my shoulders, roll my neck, and relax my jaw. Now, let me be very, very clear: these muscles are muscles that don’t default to “relax” mode. This was noticeable. At the same time, I began to have vivid dreams. I wasn’t sure it correlated, but I noticed. 

I happened to see my primary care doctor that same week and I mentioned I had started RLT and she was entirely supportive, and excited about those vivid dreams. It was likely a result of my body’s circadian rhythm starting to realign itself, as vivid dreams can be the result of more natural melatonin. 

This didn’t seem bad. In fact, it all seemed good! 

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It can take weeks to months to fully realize and see the results of RLT, but I’m confident that in the weeks I’ve been using it regularly I’ve noticed results that will continue to build. 

I plan to continue my use of RLT for the dreaded afternoon slump because my experience has led me to feel that it’s helping, both personally and professionally. I feel more able to tackle my to-do list at work in the afternoons, rather than playing the game of whack-a-mole I was playing before, trying to find tasks that didn’t overwhelm me in the last hours of my day. 

Are the results magical and the end-all-be-all answer to life, the universe, and everything? Absolutely not. But I can safely say that I’m a RLT convert now. I’m a believer in the healing power of RLT, and amazed at how an in-home device worked into my daily routine so well that I’m inspired to continue to use it, rather than allow it to gather dust in a corner. 

We all have those so-called life-changing health and wellness devices that are taking up dust and space. I’ve got a yoga wheel, a meditation cushion, and a physical therapy band all sitting in my bedroom that haven’t been used in…well, longer than I want to admit. This one won’t be joining their ranks.

The Demi Red Light Therapy Device is making a change in my afternoon slump. There’s no telling what else it’ll lend itself to. The BON CHARGE team lays out clear expectations when they say, “After just a few sessions you may experience reduced swelling, stiffness and clearer skin. Consistent use over time will get the best results and give the best outcome for muscle or joint related issues” 

I’m in. If you need me around 3 p.m., just look for the red glow of light in my apartment. I’m working on beating that mid-afternoon slump one 10-minute self-care session at a time. 

“A skeptic, I would ask for consistency first of all.” ~  Sylvia Plath