It may be tempting to skip your lunch break or run errands, especially if you are working from home. However, taking a break for lunch can help you stay motivated to get through the rest of your day. Another benefit of taking a break for lunch is it will be beneficial for your health and well-being.
Why You Should Take a Break
When you think you’re too busy to take a break, think again. A study published in Cognition shows what taking a break from work can do to improve your overall performance. After doing the same task or tasks for a long time, your brain kind of zeros out, loses focus, and performance goes down.
Participants in the experiment performed simple tasks. One group took 2 five-minute breaks, and the other group took none. As was expected, the group who didn’t take a break performed poorly in comparison. There was no gap in performance for the group that took time off twice during the ninety minutes.
Even if you don’t take the full 45 minutes for lunch, take 15 to 20 minutes to step away from your desk as it will help you feel more energised and less stressed. It can also help with the repetitive strain on the neck, muscles, and tendons.
How To Make The Most of Your Lunch Break
Take an actual break- get away from your desk and relax. Either go for a walk or sit in a quiet place.
Get social- have lunch with your work colleagues. Having social connections relieves stress and most likely get in a laugh or two!
Eat- Eating a healthy meal, not only replenishes your energy levels, fuels your brain, and speeds up your metabolism. Another tip, don’t eat at your desk. When you eat, while paying attention to your computer or phone, or TV, you eat more.
Eat mindfully by eating somewhere where you are not distracted by technology.
Go sit in the sun- even if it is on the stairs. Grabbing some sunshine will boost your overall mood and help you feel like you have switched off, plus you are increasing your Vitamin D which is a great mood enhancer.
Taking your lunch break can not only make you more productive, but it can also help produce a healthier and happier you!
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