Stop Eating Lunch at Your Desk
Having lunch at your desk seems like a good idea. After all, you do more work, show your coworkers how hardworking you are, and still eat enough to fuel the rest of your day, right?
Stop dining at your table.
Apart from the fact that you may not be as productive as you think , lunch at your desk is not very good for you. Chris Cunningham , professor of occupational organizational psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, told us what you are missing when you eat at your table:
- Pure mental break from work : Taking physical break from work makes it easier to take a break from the day when you are not thinking about work. You may feel like you are missing out on time for the GSD, but recharging can also increase your productivity.
- Changing what our brains are focused on : Instead of thinking about the job ahead or responding to emails or chat, changing the environment focuses your brain on a different environment.
- Chatting with Co-workers or Others : Depending on the culture, co-workers may or may not eat together, but if this is a common practice in your company, take advantage of lunch to bond with your office colleagues. If your coworkers aren’t eating lunch together, plan with friends or family whenever possible.
Cornell Professor Kevin Kniffin , who has studied the impact of a joint meal fire, agrees that the use of meal as a time for socializing with colleagues can improve performance at work. Even if you don’t socialize during lunch (some people need to be alone to recharge), you have tons of options besides staying at your table.
- Exercise and Boost Your Energy : Do your lunchtime workout to keep your blood (and creative juices) flowing. Even a simple walk around the block or corridors of your office, or a little stretch can give you a boost of energy.
- Refresh with Mindfulness : Do a couple of minutes of meditation to clear your brain, or simply eat mindfully .
- Do what you love : listen to your favorite artist, read a book, play a game on your phone, or do anything else that makes you happy.
- Take care of personal matters: Book your lunch break to take care of the things you need to do for yourself. Whether you’re planning to postpone a long dentist appointment or talking to a friend, save that time for yourself.
Lunch is more than just overeating so you have enough calories for the rest of the day. Turning this into a real break provides several benefits that can be difficult to achieve when dining at your own table.