If your team feels wiped out by 3 PM, it’s not just the workload.
It’s biology. Environment. Behavior. Design.

We’re wired to need rhythm, movement, and recovery, but most offices are built to override that.

The result? Teams running on caffeine and habit instead of clarity and energy.

Here’s what the science actually says about modern fatigue and how to design against it.

Quick self-check: Are you or your team running on empty?

Do you notice any of these responses during bi-annual feedback sessions?

• Struggling to focus mid-morning,

• Hit a productivity wall around 2–3 PM,

• Forgot what I was doing… while I was doing it,

• Find myself doom-scrolling between tasks,

• Feel foggy, not fired up, after meetings.

If yes, it’s not just you. These are classic signs of energy mismanagement, and science explains why.

Cortisol and the case for intentional mornings

Cortisol, your body’s natural alertness hormone, spikes in the morning to help you feel awake and focused. But it needs time and space to work.

If your team’s first hour of the day is overloaded with Slack pings, back-to-back meetings, and decision fatigue before 10 AM… they’re burning energy before they even begin.

In fact, research shows that while multitasking and constant interruptions can feel stressful, they don’t always trigger a full cortisol response. Meaning your body’s natural morning spike can get blunted or wasted on the wrong things. [Becker et al., 2022]

The fix? Design your mornings like warm-ups, not sprints.
Start with short syncs, space for deep work, or a hydration ritual that signals: let’s go.

Here’s how to design rituals that actually boost energy.

Blue light, circadian chaos, and the myth of multitasking

Blue light from screens isn’t inherently bad; it helps with alertness.

But constant exposure, especially with poor lighting and zero movement, disrupts our circadian rhythm and makes it harder to focus long-term.

A Harvard Medical School study found that exposure to blue light after daylight hours suppressed melatonin production by over 50%, delaying sleep cycles and reducing next-day alertness. [source]

And it’s not just evenings; many of your team don’t get enough natural light during the day, which also disrupts energy regulation.

The same goes for multitasking. We often think it helps us squeeze more in, but the brain can’t actually handle two cognitive tasks at once.

• Myth: Multitasking helps you get more done.

• Truth: Your brain can’t focus on two cognitive tasks at once. What feels like “multitasking” is just fast-switching, and it burns energy fast. [source]

Design tip: Prioritize natural light. Use warm or adjustable lighting where daylight’s not possible. Build in visual “off” moments during the day: look up, stretch, walk, hydrate.

Posture, noise, and why a “just push through” mentality quickly backfires

Sitting too long decreases circulation and oxygen to the brain.
Noise clutter increases cortisol and mental fatigue.
And multitasking? It’s not the productivity hack we’ve been convinced it is...

The American Psychological Association has shown that task-switching can reduce productivity by up to 40%. [source]

Yet most workplaces still reward busyness over flow. We’re expected to jump from calendar to inbox to “quick Slack” without pausing to reset.

That’s where physical design and behavior intersect. Movement-friendly setups, breakout zones, and midday rituals (like a 3 PM refill or walking check-in) give the brain the breathing room it needs.

We break that down further in Is Your Office Leaking Energy?

Why hydration is still the most underrated performance tool

Energy starts with water. And most offices are still missing the mark.

Even mild dehydration, just 1–2% fluid loss, can impair mood, attention, and short-term memory.

A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed measurable cognitive decline in healthy adults at just 1.36% dehydration. [source]

The problem? Water is often overlooked or uninspiring.
That’s why we see so many teams default to coffee, soft drinks, or skipping it altogether.

Just ask Visma YouServe.

When they redesigned their Amsterdam office, better hydration became a keystone for energy and culture. By replacing “meh” coffee with functional flavors like Balance and Unwind, employees started drinking more water, skipping the third coffee, and genuinely looking forward to office days again.

Read how Visma YouServe reenergized their team with Aquablu.

Energy isn't a mystery; it's measurable

Most “low energy” moments aren’t about laziness or attitude. It’s about environment, inputs, and design.

If you want to protect your team’s focus and momentum:

• Start the day with intention,

• Protect the circadian rhythm,

• Make movement and hydration part of the flow,

• Stop rewarding context-switching as a skill.

Drained energy isn’t vague. It’s physiological. It’s environmental. It's scientific. And it’s fixable.

When you understand how energy really works, you can design for it every hour of the workday.