Do you usually spend your lunch break at the desk scarfing down an unhealthy meal? Or do you run out for a quick bite to eat, but keep your eyes glued on your smart phone? Or maybe you have decided to skip lunch altogether and keep working through your lunch hour?
You may be missing out on the critical time that will keep your energy levels and productivity up, because your lunch break is your chance to get reenergized, refocused and refueled for the rest of the day. It’s like half-time in a football game – an opportunity to regroup and plan out the rest of your day.
The most successful people in the world make sure that they don’t spend their lunch hour at the desk, but use the time wisely to meet people, read or exercise, because they know that being tied to their desks without a break only expands their waistline and rarely results in faster, better work. Besides, taking that lunch break has a huge impact on your overall mood.
Here are our TOP 10 tips to lifehack your lunch break to not just be more productive but also happier and healthier.
#1 Leave the Office
To make good use of your lunch break, physically leaving the office is a fundamental habit. It gives you a break from all the noise and distractions and allows you to recharge and renew. Even just getting up and going to another room can be helpful, but still, going outside for a quick walk and some fresh air can do wonders to your spirit and your body. Best would be if you can enjoy some nature as research shows that taking a walk in a quiet park can refresh your attention span and you can get back to work with renewed focus.
#2 Eat
Yes, this one is obvious, but even if you have to run errands or try to lose weight, don’t skip out on eating lunch or at least a healthy snack because it will make or break your productivity for the rest of the day. There are certain foods that are particularly good to boost your brain function and with that be able to power through the afternoon productively. Have fatty fish like salmon for lunch to improve your brain function with omega-3 fatty acids. A couple of pieces of dark chocolate for dessert can go a long way because of the antioxidants they contain. Dark chocolate is also a natural stimulant and concentration booster. Nuts and seeds are great snacks because they are a powerhouse when it comes to the antioxidant vitamin E. Additionally, avocado, raw carrots, blueberries and whole grains all boost your brain power.
#3 Get a Dose of Mindfulness
If you have the time, enjoy the power of meditation but even just sitting quietly and eating your lunch mindfully can give you some of the same positive benefits. Solely focus on what you eat, enjoy the colors, textures, smells, and tastes of the different foods you eat and savor every bite. Put your phone down and simply enjoy a few minutes of mindfulness. It can make a world of a difference.
#4 Take a Nap
We are naturally designed to have a short second sleep in the afternoon, but most of us don’t nap. We generally have a natural dip in energy around 2 or 3pm, which means if you are taking a late lunch, it’s the perfect time to nap. Find a quiet place where you can close your eyes for 20 minutes and you’ll improve your working memory to take in new information and you can process the information you took in in the morning.
#5 Work Out
Did you know that muscle strength is at its peak from 2 to 6pm? Even our lungs perform better in the late afternoon. Fit in a workout at your lunch break and you’ll get a host of benefits including improved mood, reduced stress levels, increased self-esteem and self-confidence and a boost to your creativity and productivity. If you don’t have the time to fit in a proper workout at lunch time, do at least a few deskercises to get your body moving and your blood flowing.
#6 Work from a Café After Lunch
Changing your environment can do wonders to your productivity and creativity and research found that the ambient sounds of a café are particularly conducive to creativity because moderate noise levels increase your ability to process difficulty just enough so that you can push yourself out of your comfort zone and into more creative thinking. Keep in mind, a change of location means renewed focus and with that you can get to work and get things done.
#7 Build Relationships
Sharing a meal with someone else is one of the best ways to build and strengthen a relationship. Set a goal for yourself to have lunch with a different person from your office or your network at least once a week. You are guaranteed to learn something new about your industry or company and you may even make some friends, mentors or clients in the process. Lunch is also a great way to open up beyond business concerns and share about your life and with that you strengthen your relationship even more.
#8 Work Towards Your Dream Job
After you’ve eaten a healthy lunch and did some exercises, use the rest of the time of your lunch break to get ahead and work on your dream job. Whether you ask your boss for extracurricular projects for reasons of personal growth or work on a project for your portfolio, use the time to sharpen your skills and expand your knowledge, so that you can move up in your career and achieve your dream job.
#9 Read
Don’t just read emails and reports during your lunch break, but grab a newspaper, book or catch up on your favorite blog. It is essential to feed your mind with something refreshing and inspiring. Besides you get a much needed mental break from work in solitude, which helps you to re-focus and re-energize yourself to tackle the afternoon with gusto.
#10 Run Personal Errands
While you are working, stay focused on the task at hand and leave your personal life out the door, but as soon as you have a lunch break, catch up on your personal obligations. Whether you need to pick up a prescription or have lunch with your best friend, designate one lunch break a week to personal errands and personal growth.
Be strategic about your lunch hour and remember that if you make the most out of the lunch break with a proper break, you will be able to accomplish a lot more in the long run. You increase your creativity and productivity levels while reducing fatigue and stress and with that you make the rest of the day go a lot more smoothly.
MAKE THE BEST USE OF YOUR LUNCH HOUR
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked
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