A staggering 62 percent of employees eat lunch at their desks. Not only is this less than hygienic – ketchup on the keyboard? – it’s also rather depressing. Chances are, if you are sitting at your desk, you will automatically answer the phone, check emails, and do other work-related tasks. So, in effect, you are not actually having a break at all!
If you have a whole hour for lunch, make the most of it by leaving the office. This is much better for your mental and physical health. Read on to discover a few ways to enjoy your hour of freedom.
Soak Up Some Sunshine
41 percent of US adults are deficient in vitamin D. Since we mostly get vitamin D from sunlight, a 20-minute walk outdoors on a sunny day is an excellent way to boost your levels of this essential vitamin. While it’s important to protect your skin from UV light, most people are fine if they spend 15-20 minutes in the sun without protection. Note that dark-skinned people need longer to get enough vitamin D from the sun.
Enjoy a Picnic
If the weather is nice, take your lunch and find a nice spot outdoors, where you can eat your food and people watch. This could be a local park or a bench somewhere scenic. Sitting next to a busy main road isn’t ideal, but if there is a nice, quiet area where you can go, make the most of it.
Read a Book
Many of us spend our working day staring at a screen for 8+ hours, only to do it all over again when we get home. Use your lunch hour to give your eyes a rest from screens. Pack a paperback novel and read it for an hour while you eat your lunch. If the weather isn’t great, find a seat in the employee break room and zone out from the conversations around you. Otherwise, sit outside for an hour. It’s a great way to switch off from work and let your mind wander into a parallel universe.
Plan a Lunch Date
Arrange to meet a friend for lunch somewhere local. An hour is long enough to enjoy some great food and catch up on gossip. If you can’t think of anywhere to go, search food café near me and see what interesting venues like Native Foods pop up. Whatever your diet preferences, there is bound to be a café or restaurant that appeals.
Fit In a Workout
Working out before or after work isn’t always feasible if you have a long commute. One solution is to work out during your lunch hour. This has several benefits. Firstly, doing a cardio workout at lunchtime is a great stress reliever. It will also give you an energy boost for the afternoon, so you won’t be fighting to stay awake in meetings or raiding the biscuit tin around 3 PM.
If you try this one, pack some wet wipes or make use of the employee shower room so your colleagues don’t report you to HR for stinking out the place.
Your next lunch hour will be a lot more fun if you try one of the tips above!
