At least once a week I come across somebody who works hard, but never actually catches up with their backlog. They seem to expect me to wave a magic wand so that by tomorrow evening their desk will be clear. It is as if I am tackling a secret international crisis on time management that only business mentors can overcome.

There are many tools available to resolve such issues. Much revolves in ensuring that the client is familiar with their key priorities, and thus responding accordingly. Delegation is another subject to be explored. And there is the familiar topic of procrastination, which – pardon the pun – many of us like to shy away from.

Here is an additional consideration. I recently had a follow-up session with somebody in Jerusalem, who was clearly not very alert during our meeting. It emerged that she worked most evenings towards midnight. However, many of these late hours were brought upon herself by the fact that she could not work effectively during the afternoon.

In other words, our subject matter was devoting 12-14 hours per day to work, of which only ten or so counted. That means the bodily machine was recording approximately a 25% rate of inefficiency. Now, if that was just metal and wires, my client would have thrown herself out ages ago.

So what was missing? Simple, she had tried to cheat and had been caught out by the body police. How so?

First, she skips breakfast most mornings. In contrast, nutritionists teach us that this is the time of day when we most need to pump ourselves with some sugars. This is when we have to be alert, racing to work and flying off new ideas at our colleagues.

Additionally, lunch is a must. The body is like an automobile engine. If it does not have food (petrol), it will not function. And in that case, it is shut-eyes time (siesta) in the middle of the afternoon, as my client knows several times a week.

A balanced diet is also a must. Eat your carbs, because you need internal energy. Buy protein, like a tin of tuna. Try to restrict bread intake to the morning hours. And drink – this makes you feel fuller in your stomach.

One final tip: Nobody can rush around non-stop for over 12 hours, and carry on like that most days a week, every week.

Have a break. Have a proper break during the day. You will feel more relaxed. Your productivity will go up. And you will find yourself allocating your evening hours to more fun activities, which you will be awake for. Want to risk trying the new technique?