If you’re corporate self has spent all day waiting for the clock to strike five so you can finally relax after a gruelling maelstrom of meetings, calls and spreadsheets, but have been met by a nagging sense of worry or restlessness instead, congratulations — you have what experts call 5 pm anxiety. Notably different from the late-afternoon slump, which is typified by low energy levels and a sense of sluggishness that sets in the post-lunch window, 5 pm anxiety also isn’t quite the same as a full-blown panic attack; however, it can cause a lingering sense of unease and feels nearly as overwhelming.

Hydrate at regular intervals 

The reasons for this late-day anxiety are multi-faceted, experts say. They include a dysregulated cortisol rhythm, stressors from your workday and even dwindling distractions as the hours pass by. The solution, however, has a lot to do with how you begin your day, notes Shimpli Patil, head nutritionist and lifestyle expert at Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems. She lays down a few ground rules that can transform the way your day wears on.