tuck intotheir lunchwhile
employees skipitaltogether
WHAT TO DO
WITH YOUR
PRECIOUS HOURSwap your
location to eat
STEP
THREE
Phonea friend
A quickcallwitha pal– phone,notvideo!– can
helpyoustayconnectedandboostyourspirits.
Hand-writea letter
Don’tunderestimatethewarm-and-fuzzypower
(fortherecipientandforyou)ofsendinga hand-
writtenmissiveinthepost.
Takea nap
Closethoselidsforanhour,evenif youdon’tsleep.
There’sa lottobesaidfor 40 winks– andthat’s
somethingyoucanneverdoinanofficesetting.
Read
If youfindyou’retootiredtoreadintheevening,
enjoya chapterortwoatlunchtimeinstead.
Cook
Bakecookiesorgeta headstartondinner–
perhapssomeprepfora casserolethatcan
slow-cookintheovenwhileyoudoyour
afternoon’swork.
Listentoa podcast
Seeoverthepageforourlistoftop
recommendations.
Starta hobby
Learntoknit,draw,speakanotherlanguage.
Havesex
If youfeellikeit,whynot?→DO SOMETHING in yourlunchhouryoufindfulfilling(find
a few ideas, right). It maysoundcounter-intuitivebutthiscan
involve a screen if that’showyouwanttospendyourtime.“Ifthe
most relaxing and enjoyableuseofyourlunchhouris tohopfrom
working on the laptop toa videogamethenthat’slikelytobethe
best thing for you,” says DrWarwick.“Forothers,masteringa skill
or learning something willbevaluable– there’snorightorwrong
in these situations. Whetherit’sreading,meditating,exercising,
watching TV or playing games,dowhat’srightforyoupersonally.”
Doing something that makesyouhappycanhelppreventthose
sugar cravings too. “The aimofthegameis tofindnon-foodrelated
ways to de-stress,” says Patel.“Findfiveminutesofjoyeachday
doing something that is justforyou– andnotevenforInstagram.”MOVING AWAY from your work area for lunch isn’t just about
getting a change of scene, though. It has dietary benefits too, says
Linia Patel, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the British
Dietetic Association. When having lunch al desko you don’t focus
on what you’re eating and are likely to consume more calories.
Why? “Mindless eating means you’re less likely to be in tune with
your natural hunger and satiety cues,” she says. Eating something
wholesome rather than relying on sugary snacks for an energy
boost is important too. These quick fixes play havoc with blood
sugar levels, which leads to the dreaded afternoon slump.These are only ideas – the most important
thing is to do whatever makes you feel goodSTEP
T W O
Make a plan for
your time out