How To Get The Most Out Of Your Lunch Break
For me, one of the hardest ideas to get use to when transitioning from college to work life was the "lunch break". I was always so used to eating on the go, or just whenever I could carve ten minutes out of my day to run to Chick-fil-a. Now, I'm legally granted so many minutes during the day for me to take an actual break and recharge.
At first, this was amazing. I was thriving. However, throughout time I got busier and it was harder to take a full break. On the worst days, I would run to the Whole Foods nearby, grab lunch, and run back, totally a generous 15 minutes out of the office. And I get it, some seasons are busier than others, and you're there to do a job to the best of your ability, however, this isn't possible if you're not mentally functioning at 100%. When I wouldn't take my lunch breaks, my work and attitude would suffer. I would feel so drained and apathetic towards my job.
We're given a lunch break for a reason. Everyone needs time to take a step back, recharge, and collect themselves before finishing the day. It's time we all start taking advantage of this time and use it to regain ourselves. This is the only time during the day when we're legitimately allowed to not think about our job, so let's really do that.
Here are a few ways to use your lunch break to it's full potential.
Clock-Out For Real
Leave your desk. Seriously, get your stuff and walk out. If you chose to eat at your desk, people will think you're still working. They'll ask you about that project you've been working on or if you can get them a file real quick and it will feel like they're tearing your soul out with one hundred staple removers. Even if other people aren't the ones asking you about your job, some aspect of your day-to-day is probably going to still be on your mind. It's hard to disconnect yourself at the drop of a hat, but if you can push it from your mind for thirty minutes you will feel so refreshed. Doing this is extremely difficult. However, the more and more conscious you can be about not thinking about work during your lunch break, the easier it will become.
Run Obnoxious Errands
Your lunch break is a great time to do the things that you don't have the motivation for on weekends. Honestly, you shouldn't have to waste your well-earned Saturday in line at the bank. I can't tell you how many lunches I've spent sitting at Kwik Kar getting my oil changed. Take your stack of clothes to the dry cleaners, go buy cat food, or fill up tank at the gas station. It's so much easier to do adult-y things when you're already out of the house, basically just killing time. Plus, a lot of those serious places, like banks or registrars, aren't open after 5pm, so taking care of those errands during your lunch break allows you to avoid taking time off work.
Disconnect
We spend a lot of time looking at screens. It's fine, I'm not one of those "old man yells at cloud" memes. Like, as I'm writing this (on a screen), I'm watching season 3 of The Real Housewives of New York City and my phone is sitting next to me, occasionally notifying me about whatever is happening on social media. I. Love. Screens. However, after staring into a computer screen for four hours in the morning and knowing you're going to be staring into the same screen for another four hours later that day, it's nice to be able to take a true break. Keep a stack of your favorite puzzle games or brain teasers at your desk, bring a good book, or find a magazine. Not only will you feel refreshed when you return to your desk, you'll be amazed at how much more you feel like a human. Plus, you can get through so many books reading for almost an hour every day.
Take A Stroll
I'm so fortunate to work in an office that's on the second story of an outdoor shopping mall. If I want to go outside and take a walk, I don't want to go very far to make that happen. For those of you who don't happen to be so lucky, see if there is a hiking trail near your building. Nothing? Take a few laps of the office. You can even pretend to be on the phone while doing so if you feel awkward about walking by people you don't know. Or you can actually make a call to a real person. Whatever you want to do. As a wise woman once said, "Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy, and happy people just don't kill their husbands. They just don't."
When In Doubt, Nap It Out
Don't discount a good nap. Do you know how many lunch breaks I've spent in my car taking a good nap? Too many. I keep blankets in my trunk specifically for car naps. If you're lucky enough to work at Google or any super modern company, you may or may not have nap pods. If you do, I am so jealous and need to live vicariously through you. However, if you're working in a normal office environment, the closest you're going to get to a nap pod is booking one of the private pumping mom rooms. Why do employers think we don't need naps? Has science taught us nothing? Also, do they not want to nap, also?