Empty stomach makes you unable to think well, doesn’t it?

It is true that keeping your concentration when you are hungry is almost impossible. The growl and whale sound coming from your stomach could easily distract you from whatever activity you are doing. Not only makes it tough for you to concentrate, a research by Laura Capps showed that empty stomach can make us face challenges such as delinquency, tardiness, and even aggressive behaviour. Hunger can lead us to anger because of low blood-glucose serotonin levels we have.

Food is our source of energy. Just like a plant, it needs water to photosynthesis. Human needs food to stay active and focus.  

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However, having an empty stomach is not as worse as you think it is. The truth is, having an empty stomach can make you more productive. How? According to researchers from Yale University and the British Neuroscience Association, when you have an empty stomach, your stomach will stimulate hormone and create new brain cell growth. This process will make you feel sharper and enable the brain to better retain new memories. Additionally, an empty stomach can make you feel lighter and be more alert.

Unfortunately, while empty stomach has some benefits, not everyone can handle hunger well. Some might be able to stay focused and alerted on their empty tummy, but some others might have no energy and cannot concentrate at all. Which one is you?

If you belong to the latter type, then these tips will help you keep your concentration on at work before meal time.

Drink water – When you are on a diet, you can always drink water to keep concentrated. Staying hydrated is important, especially when you have an empty tummy. A survey from JP International revealed that water helps the production of hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain. When you are well-hydrated, these transmitters work well and run smoothly. Thus, drinking water and staying hydrated are important as it helps enhance memory performance and concentration power.

Don’t do hard or stressful work – It is not possible to do a stressful job when your tummy is empty. So, the best approach is to leave your harder task for later. But if it cannot wait due to the deadline, you can break the task into an easier and smaller job. For example, you are assigned to write a report of the last meeting. Since there are many things to write, first you can make a draft, separate each topic, and write topic by topic until it is finished.  

Take a walk – Walking has many benefits, including increasing concentration. But why should I walk when my tummy is hungry? Because not only walking will give you fresh air, it also one of ways to distract yourself from the burnout, headache, and hunger. Pro tip: take a good walk in the fresh air and avoid walking where you can smell foods.  

Find other distractions – To stay motivated and focused, you need to take a break from your stressful job. While you are on fasting mode, you can find a more useful distraction that can keep your mind focus on your present day. You can play a game, watch a video, or read a light article/book. By doing this, you will have a transition time from dizziness to refreshment while bringing back your focus.

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