Working through lunch is common, but a bad idea
If you’ve ever considered working through lunch to get more done, you might want to reevaluate your plans. Although a survey in 2012 revealed that only around 19 percent of workers actually take their break, it’s important to relieve the pressure of the demands from your job.
Much like sports teams take a break during their game to regroup and figure out what they need to do in the second half of the game, you need your lunch break to work more efficiently in the afternoon. You need to get away from your desk, refuel and reenergize, so that you’re productive for the remainder of your day.
Use your lunch hour to get ahead
To be successful at your job, not only do you need to take the time to eat lunch, but you also need to get away from your desk. Here are some ideas for you to be more successful during your break.
- Leave your desk. Study after study shows that sitting too long at your desk is bad for your health. When you stand, you use 30% more calories than if you sit. While this doesn’t seem like a lot, it adds up over time.
- Go for a walk outside to clear your head. Getting away from the work environment will reduce your stress, and there are many benefits to walking, even at a leisurely pace.
- Exercise. While this may be a challenge, a 15-minute run in the middle of the day boosts your endorphins and makes your mind sharper.
- Eat healthy. You have an hour to eat, so use the time to get a nutritious meal that is high in protein and includes vegetables. Starchy foods with a load of carbohydrates will make you sleepy, but the protein will sustain you throughout the long afternoon. Remember not to overeat, even on healthy foods.
- Network. Use your lunch hour to meet with your mentor or colleagues to build a relationship. Make your meal a social time, and unplug from your electronics to enjoy the time.
- Read. Catch up on business reading or just read for pleasure. Either way, you’re going to build your brain cells and have more information than the guy in the next cubicle. Reading is inspiration, which improves your creativity.
- Catch up on your personal business. While many people mix their own personal tasks with business, it’s not really ethical. Your boss may not mind, but you will get noticed when you are working harder and more productive during your work day because you’re focused on your job not your personal life.
