Energy is mostly light, timing and sleep pressure. Not supplements. The first hour of the day sets more than the rest of it.
Start here
Morning
Morning
Daylight in the first hour
Get outside for ten minutes within an hour of waking. Overcast is fine. A window is a weak substitute.
10 minEvidence: decent
Morning
Nap short or not at all
If you nap, ten to twenty minutes, early afternoon, alarm set. Longer or later costs you tonight.
20 minEvidence: decent
Morning
Ten screen-free minutes after waking
No phone until you've been up ten minutes. Water, light, a window, then the phone.
10 minEvidence: worth trying
Through the day
Through the day
Hard work at your best hour
Notice when your head is sharpest. Put the hardest task there. Admin goes in the slump.
no timeEvidence: decent
Through the day
Move for the tiredness
Too tired to train? Go anyway, and go easy, at a pace you could talk at. Three times a week for six weeks, then judge.
3x a weekEvidence: decent
Through the day
Stairs before the coffee
Afternoon slump? Walk up and down the stairs for ten minutes before you buy the coffee. Then decide if you still want it.
10 minEvidence: worth trying
Through the day
Swap the task, don't push through
When the hard thinking stops moving late in the day, switch to easy work. Big decisions wait until you're fresh.
no timeEvidence: worth trying
Through the day
The cold plunge is a jolt, not a reset
If you like it, two to three minutes is plenty; no study has tested that dose, it's just what people do. Breathe slowly through the first thirty seconds. Don't expect it to change your brain.
3 minEvidence: decent
Through the day
Tired for weeks? Get it checked
Tired most days for weeks, even with enough sleep? Book a doctor and say exactly that.
10 minEvidence: decent
Through the day
Willpower isn't a tank
Stop saving yourself for the hard thing later. Start it now. If you slump at 3pm, blame last night and the hour, not used-up willpower.
no timeEvidence: decent
Through the day
Work by the window
Work next to the window if you can. Blinds up, even in the afternoon.
no timeEvidence: worth trying
Fuel
Fuel
Drink so you're not thirsty
Keep water within reach where you work and drink when you're thirsty. Don't count glasses.
no timeEvidence: decent
Fuel
Go easy on the big energy drinks
Don't drink the big cans or several in a row. Heart condition, high blood pressure or stimulant medication? Skip energy drinks completely.
no timeEvidence: worth trying
Fuel
The afternoon dip isn't the sandwich
Put easy work in the early afternoon, whatever you ate for lunch. Don't reach for something sweet to fix the slump.
no timeEvidence: decent