I'd like to get maybe a few more hours in, but how can I get my brain back to the clear-thinking and speed of the morning ?
(1) Do not skip breakfast
(2) Eat more meals in the day, but eat a smaller portion for each meal.
(3)Foods rich in protein and/or salt are more likely to cause sluggishness. Include fruit and vegetables, especially roughage, in as many meals as you can.
(4) Make sure you are sufficiently hydrated
(5) Do something physically active after eating a meal. You can try walking, a 7 minute workout, stretching, pushups, etc. It's best to be just slightly out of breath, but not sweating.
One company that I worked for in the past had a nap room. Since I'd usually stay later at work to avoid traffic, whenever I felt sleepy after lunch, I'd make use of it just take a nap. I was much more focused and productive afterwards. I hate that feeling of fighting to stay awake at work
It is admittedly harder at first, but after a week or two your body adapts and you should experience a sustained level of energy throughout the day. Of course this means not eating lunch at work.
Record all the tasks you need to do, prioritize and track them. Once they're out of your head, like with automation, you're doing more with less. Your mind can focus on the present and not the future, or the past by second-guessing (did I finish X?). I find that being more "present" (in this sense) keeps my motivation going.
Regarding sleepiness, I found that eliminating sodas (as a source of caffeine, still have caffeine but in a twice-a-day cup of espresso and yerba mate) greatly reduced my afternoon sleepiness. Along with general improvements to fitness (running, soccer, BJJ, bodyweight strength/conditioning classes, in my case). Being fitter (less excess fat on my body, able to run for an hour or more without exhaustion) has led to better wakefulness throughout the day (this is a process, initially I was much more tired for the first month or so).
As another person pointed out what you eat and how long you slept play a key role in making you feel tired.
Every person is different but what works for me it's diving into my little word, basically try to achieve a level of concentration where whatever you are doing feels magical, I put my headphones in and every little code I write I try to appreciate and feel like I am doing some progress, this has the side effect of making me happy and to enjoy what I am doing.
The main points are:
1. Pay attention to what you eat. In my case, eliminating potatoes from my lunch had a massive impact on how productive I was afterwards.
2. Pay attention to how much you eat. I noticed that the usual approach of eating until full doesn't serve me well in terms of focus and ability to concentrate afterwards. When I ate slightly less (until I felt about 70-80% full), I had more energy and a more focused mind for the rest of the day.
Of course, these are not hard rules (if they worked for me, they may not work for you). But take them as a rough guide and experiment on your own.
Gets rid of the daily grime etc. and leaves you feeling refreshed.
Followed by a coffee and I've regained my pip.
The trick is the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting. You will save 30-60 minutes every day by not eating lunch, and your energy levels will remain stable all day long. You will also be healthier and perhaps save money (I save $2,500/year by not buying lunch).