Whether it comes mid-morning or after the five-course lunch, the wall comes.

And almost every working Joe or Josephine has hit it -- head first -- just as the to-do list becomes the must-do-now list.

Don't let day fatigue bury you in a papery grave beneath your toppling in-box.

Fight back. A few minor lifestyle changes can help you climb the wall and find the energy to fight more important battles -- like those accumulating on your neglected desk.

You are what you eat

1. Eat the right breakfast: Choose complex carbohydrates -- fruits and vegetables -- over simple carbohydrates -- foods containing refined sugars and few vitamins and minerals, said John Noffsinger, a physician assistant at Community Health Center of Central Wyoming in Casper.

"Simple carbohydrates may provide a short energy boost but the downside is your body's insulin response, which then leaves you feeling sleepy."

Complex carbohydrates with lean protein usually provide a more long-lasting energy boost.

"Overall nutrition, what a person consumes all throughout the day, probably plays an even greater role in sleep quality and feelings of fatigue," he said.

2. Avoid gut-busting lunches: "High calorie meals make you drowsy, so eating a light lunch can help you stay more alert in the afternoon," said Suzanne Pelican, food and nutrition specialist at the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service. Again, think lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. Bring an apple to work to bust mid-afternoon munchies and energy crashes.

3. Avoid alcohol: This should be a workplace no-brainer. It makes you drowsy and clouds judgement.

4. Use caffeine in moderation. People who depend too much on coffee or energy drinks risk crashing later in the day. "Caffeine is a stimulant so it can increase your alertness, but when overdone, it can make you jittery and interfere with sleep, which also can contribute to afternoon drowsiness," Pelican said.

Noffsinger agreed: "Anything that has a stimulative property can increase heart rate and may contribute to increased blood pressure and palpitations and anxiety. This can especially be dangerous for someone with underlying cardiovascular disease or other metabolic disorders."

5. Water well: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Dehydration can cause muscular fatigue, which makes a person feel drained, said Sona Rummel, owner and personal trainer at Absolute Fitness in Casper.

Movement

1. Walk: When the urge to collapse on your inbox strikes, take a walk. As you breathe deeper, your heart pumps that oxygen-rich blood throughout your body, giving it a natural boost, Rummel said.

Pelican agreed: "This is one of the best ways to increase your alertness and your creativity - you can often solve a problem you've been working on if you just get away and think while you walk." If you can do a lap inside your workplace, do it. If not, dress for the weather and go outside. Just five to 10 minutes may be enough.

2. The natural boost: Numerous studies show that people who do moderate intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes five times per week consistently report higher energy levels than those who do not exercise regularly, Rummel said. An intense mid-day workout can release endorphins which the body can use to combat stress and fatigue.

Or for the early birds, exercise in the morning often helps people feel better throughout the day, Noffsinger said

3. Breath test: At your desk, think about your breathing. Most people tend to take shallow breaths, which can contribute to fatigue, Rummel said. Try to take deeper breaths and pump the oxygen through the body.

4. Fit matters: Bottom line -- the more fit a person is overall, the more energy they will have during the day. Exercise helps a person get better sleep and better sleep helps a person stay active. So on and so forth.

Sleep 101

1. Go for eight: The recommended sleep time for most adults is eight hours, Noffsinger said. "Set a specific and consistent bedtime and wakeup time and try not to deviate from it by more than an hour on occasions … of special events."

2. Get the worm: The bad news: trying to catch up on sleep on days off can interrupt your sleep cycle. "Don't 'sleep in' on weekends. Constant changes in sleep and wake times usually interferes with quality sleep," Noffsinger said.

3. Take a nap: It doesn't have to be an hour-long, drool-on-the-pillow affair. Pelican says five to 15 minutes may refresh you enough to get back to the task at hand. "Longer is not better," she said.

(Rummel disagrees. When the doldrums hit, she's a believer in the move-it-or-lose-it philosophy. "Any movement is better than a nap. Get that blood flowing, get the oxygen going," she said. Stretch at your desk. Look into desk yoga.)

4. Simmer down: Avoid stimulants -- alcohol, nicotine and large meals -- within 3 to 4 hours of bedtime, Noffsinger said. Don't exercise within 2 to 3 hours of hitting the sack.Turn off the television and don't read in bed. "Avoid, if possible, stressful situations prior to bedtime. For example, get children to 'settle down' and in bed a couple of hours prior to your bedtime," he said.