Why Your Energy Dips at 3pm, and What to Try First

The mid-afternoon dip is one of the most common things people bring up, and it is rarely caused by one thing. Before changing anything dramatic, it helps to look at the hours leading up to it.

Work backwards from the dip

Ask what lunch actually contained, how long the gap was since breakfast, how much water you have had, and when your last coffee was. A lunch that was mostly carbohydrate, eaten five hours after a small breakfast, on very little water, explains a lot on its own.

Change one thing at a time

Adding protein to lunch, shortening the gap between meals, or moving your last coffee earlier are all small adjustments. Trying them one at a time tells you which one you actually respond to, which is more useful than overhauling everything at once.