Wednesday 25 September 2013

Take Back Your Lunch Hour

17:45  , ,  

Once a revered staple of the working day, "lunch hours" have become a relic of the past. Lost are the days when employees would leave a note on their chair saying "Out to Lunch."  Sadly, these breaks from the office have been replaced with meals eaten at the desk with our eyes glued to our Blackberries or computer screens.

According to a 2012 survey of North American works by Right Management, only one in five workers reported taking a real break for lunch. Thirty-nine percent of employees say they lunch at their desk. But 28% report seldom taking any break whatsoever. All in all, 81% are not taking what used to be considered a real lunch break.

“We might infer that far fewer employees are feeling comfortable enough with their work loads and demands to actually take time away to enjoy breaks for meals,“  said Michael Haid, Senior Vice President for Talent Management at Right Management in a press release. “This is yet another warning sign of the relentless stress experienced by workers in the U.S. and Canada. Of course, they may have lunch, but it doesn't constitute a real break from work as they must also monitor the phone and email or do any number of other work related tasks while eating.”

Skipping your 60 minutes away from the desk may actually make your life harder. Afternoon energy levels wane, resulting in decreased mental acuity and lower levels of productivity. Sure, in today’s competitive work place, the pressure is on to deliver results in volume and speed, but since when has the fear of lagging behind the pack overcome the basic and healthy need of having a midday meal?

Fact is, though employer and client demands may seem pressing, you can’t afford not to have lunch. A noontime pause is a good time to recalibrate and fine tune other areas of your life. You can reap the benefits, both professionally and personally, from a bit of mental and physical refreshment.

So, how can you take back your lunch hour? Here are a few ideas:

HAVE A PLAN
You don't take a vacation or go into the weekend without an idea of what you may want to do, do you? Approach you time away from the desk in the same manner. Making a plan for meal time will ensure that you don't default to a ham & swiss a la cubicle.

CONNECT FACE-TO-FACE
The great part about lunch time is that everyone should take one. Use your 60 minutes to connect with friends, family or even a possible date. These human encounters have become increasingly valuable in our digital world. Do you want to get to know your colleague better? Ask him for coffee and sandwiches at a nearby café. What about the acquaintance that has romantic potential? Dine her at the trattoria around the corner.

Intimate yet informal, lunch is a session that’s long enough to build bonds, yet short enough to fit easily into your schedule.  And yes, those 45 minutes to an hour be yond the cubicle walls can make a big difference when it comes to relationships—platonic, romantic, business, and otherwise. So go ahead, reach out, and pencil in a lunch date.

OR CONNECT WITH YOURSELF
According to a Huffington Post article, "LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner finds time every day to do nothing. And as one of the most powerful executives in the tech world, it's certainly not because he isn't busy: Weiner says that leaving gaps in his schedule is the "single most important productivity tool" he uses."

In fact, in a blog post by Weiner, he states "That thinking, if done properly, requires uninterrupted focus; thoroughly developing and questioning assumptions; synthesizing all of the data, information and knowledge that's incessantly coming your way; connecting dots, bouncing ideas off of trusted colleagues; and iterating through multiple scenarios. In other words, it takes time. And that time will only be available if you carve it out for yourself." Take time out of your day to connect, process and de-stress.

So, the next time noon rolls around, I challenge you to step away from your desk and do something non-work related. Get in touch with others or yourself. Make your break count and see how it will add a bit more energy or spark to your work day.


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