I once read that one in four people find themselves too busy to eat lunch during their break. So, other than the reason you’ll be hungrier later, why is it so important to not skip lunchtime?
Manage Your Brain Power
Number one on my list would be that it allows your mind to take a breather.
Whatever you’re doing, taking a small break can relieve your mind from the intense things you’re working on. Therefore even taking a half an hour break can let your brain flourish with ideas when you get back to the job at hand.
As an example, have you ever had it where you stay up all night working on a project to get it finished in time, so you’re rushing your mind to cope? Then the minute you try to get some shut eye, the best idea you’ve had comes to mind? Taking a break for lunch is like that. Just give yourself some time off and keep your brain healthy and active. After all some of the best ideas come completely out of the blue.
Do It for Your Health
Stimulate your body by getting out of that office/workspace and into that sun, or in some cases, rain. Either way, get yourself outside for some of that Vitamin D.
It also isn’t good to stay in one position for a long time, so if you are sitting down at a desk for a long time, relieve your posture and go for a walkabout. Do you live in a beautiful city? Go visit some landmarks if you have the time. Hell, if I had the time, I’d probably go to most museums I could.
While you’re at it, treat yourself to some brain food- go grab some blueberries!
Also, please don’t burn yourself out. By over working you’re just setting yourself up for an unhealthy amount of long naps that will then mess up your entire sleeping pattern, which will then lead you to feeling unnecessarily tired in the days to come and potentially affect your work. Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way.
Just Take a Breath of Mindfulness
Any type of work can at some point become too much to handle. Breathing exercises can relieve all types of tension. If you find work, or work colleagues, becoming a bit too much to handle, take advantage of your lunchtime.
How you do you do this you ask?
- Well, you start by closing your eyes.
- Take long deep breaths for around eight seconds each, and relax your body.
- Use your mind to think about where you are, and focus on the points of pressure on your body right now. Feel each part of where your body touches your clothes or your chair. Feel where you are as a person, and work on easing that tension out of your body.
Take advantage of your breaks, after all, you’re entitled to them. With great power comes great responsibility, and in this case that responsibility is lunchtime!
Written by Kara Gurr
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