7 tips to keep your concentration going in the afternoon

Believe it or not, these midday energy dips aren't inevitable. Try the following tips to keep your energy levels up throughout the afternoon.

There are many plausible theories for the dip in energy that we tend to feel at midday: the morning surge of hormones has petered out; some degree of "brain tedium" – in other words, boredom – has set in. Or it may have something to do with what you ate; all meals divert blood from your brain to your gut but some foods also bump up levels of the soporific (sleep-inducing) hormone serotonin.

1. Go for a 10-minute walk and resist that chocolate bar. When American researchers compared study participants who ate a chocolate bar or who walked briskly for 10 minutes, they found the chocolate bar subjects felt more tense in the hour afterwards, while those who walked not only had higher energy levels for one to two hours afterwards, but also reduced their tension.
2. Defer the work you most want to do to the time of day when you least feel like working. Get through the routine work in the early morning so it's done, then stave off the midday doldrums with a task you really enjoy.
3. Drink a cup of caffeinated coffee or tea. The caffeine will perk you up; studies also find it will enhance your memory and make you more productive on tasks requiring concentration.
4. Put a drop of peppermint oil in your hand and briskly rub your hands together, then rub them over your face (avoid your eyes). Peppermint is a known energy-enhancing scent.
5. Roll your shoulders forwards, then backwards, timing each roll with a deep breath in and out. Repeat for two minutes.
6. Consider a morsel of dark chocolate. This is not a licence to overindulge, but dark chocolate does have some unique advantages. Unlike milk chocolate, it is truly a healthy food, closer to the category of nuts than candy, given the high levels of healthy fat and antioxidants it contains. Plus, it has abundant fibre and magnesium. Additionally, it provides a little caffeine, as well as a satisfyingly decadent feeling. But don't eat more than one square.
7. Chew some "spicy" gum. Chewing gums with strong minty flavours are stimulating, and the mere act of chewing is something of a tonic to a brain succumbing to lethargy. Plus, chewing stimulates saliva, which helps to clear out the bacteria responsible for cavities and gum disease that are left over from lunch. Just be sure to choose sugar-free gum.