Volunteers who ate after waking up benefited from an 89 per cent reduction in anxiety when faced with a challenging situation.
And they are typically able to deal with the dilemma 7 per cent quicker than on days when they go without, mental and physical tests revealed.
The participants in the study performed a series of tests on two days - one when they had eaten breakfast and one when they had not.
In total, 61 per cent showed an improvement in English and arithmetic tests after eating, according to The Cognitive Effects of Breakfast study.
Hand-eye coordination also improved significantly, with the number of mistakes made by participants falling by 75 per cent, the poll and research by baker Warburtons found.
One participant, in the laboratory tests on 25 adults aged 19 to 59, even solved the problems 17 per cent quicker after eating.
Conversely, some participants found they were unable to concentrate long enough to complete the series of 25 tests properly if they had not eaten.
Nationally, 48 per cent of adults admit to skipping breakfast at least once during the working week, the poll of 2,000 people found.
And this leaves over half of them feeling 'stressed', 'lethargic', 'unproductive' and 'grumpy'.
Those aged 25 to 34 are particularly affected if they do not eat, the research showed.
But despite this, 28 per cent of all adults say they would 'rather stay in bed' and a similar number, 26 per cent, are 'too busy getting the family ready'.
One in five admit they are 'too disorganised'.
Shop worker Rachel Matthews, a mother-of-two, said she struggles to make time for breakfast in the morning despite wanting to do so.
The 32-year-old, from Southampton, Hants, said: 'On the days I do eat breakfast, I find I approach work with more clarity and am more productive.
Nationally, 48 per cent of adults admit to skipping breakfast at least once during the working week, the poll of 2,000 people found. And this leaves over half of them feeling 'stressed', 'lethargic', 'unproductive' and 'grumpy' (posed by model)
'However, I simply don't have the time to eat before leaving the house most days.
'As soon as my alarm goes off, I get straight out of bed, get myself ready for work and my boys ready for school.
'I could get out of bed a little earlier but then I would be too tired to focus properly.'
Megan Harrison, from Warburtons, said it was best to go for foods that release energy slowly.
She said: 'There's a certain irony that so many people skip breakfast and then feel lethargic, grumpy and less productive at work.
'However, if people made the time for breakfast, it could actually help them feel less stressed and perform better.
'That is particularly the case if they go for foods that offer slow energy release and are more likely to help you get through the morning.
'A quick and easy breakfast could make all the difference.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2113120/Breakfast-makes-brainy-Morning-meal-reduces-stress-spurs-mental-physical-performance.html#ixzz1opk579LH
