Chew on this: if your brain needs a boost — and you want to avoid caffeine — try chewing gum.
Research suggests that just 15 minutes of chewing gum can help make you more alert and improve concentration and attention — and even improve work productivity.
We’re shocked that gum-makers haven’t used this in marketing campaigns. While researchers don’t have a full grasp of what’s happening, they have some solid theories. Chewing gum increases blood flow by pumping the muscles of your jaw, which brings more blood to your head and can increase the arousal of your brain and improve attention. Or, it could be that because chewing gum can help reduce stress levels, it frees up your brain for better focus. And, if you have a complicated or longer task, the gum appears to provide even more benefits.
Caffeine is still incredibly effective, but having caffeine within 9 hours of sleep can disrupt your rest and cause other health frustrations.
So, keeping caffeine in the morning and gum in the afternoon might be one of the easiest ways to stay focused and productive all day, with fewer downsides.
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