Wherever you work, making your lunch break count is important. Breaking up the day helps us to return to work feeling refreshed and ready to be productive. Whilst many people think that working through lunch helps them achieve more, this is simply not the case for most of us. Research into human attention spans has proven time and time again that we simply cannot concentrate on the task at hand for eight hours, most of us struggle to concentrate for twenty minutes! If you want to achieve more in your work and improve your work-life balance then maximizing your lunch break is essential, here’s how.
Keep Your Brain Active
If you enjoy taking your lunch break at your desk then there are still plenty of fun options that are available to you. A skill-based game can be a great way to switch off from work, but also keep your brain active. Poker is popular, because whilst luck accounts for an element of the game’s outcome, your understanding of poker strategy can help you to succeed. To begin with, you can start by playing on the best online poker sites to really get to grips with the game. Once you’ve found your feet and gained in confidence, you could even try a lunchtime poker tournament.
Unleash Your Inner Yogi
The benefits of yoga are by no means a secret, yet few of us actually take time in our day to practice. The allure of an extra hour in bed in the mornings is often too much to overcome, so yoga practice doesn’t happen then. By the time you get home in the evening all you want to do is grab something to eat and relax in front of the television. Nobody is perfect, all of these things are understandable, but one way that you can make yourself feel super accomplished is by making half an hour in the middle of the day to practice yoga. YouTube is a brilliant, and free, resource for both beginners and experienced yogis. During the summer you can practice in a nearby outdoor space, and in the winter you can practice routines that are designed to be completed at your desk. Sure, you might get a few strange looks initially, but before long you’ll have office friends who are dying to practice with you.
Get Some Fresh Air
If the idea of completing a desk yoga practice in your office fills you with dread, then don’t panic. There are plenty of other ways to get some middle of the day exercise. Plenty of people like to talk about their yoga practice or spin class, but few of us really appreciate the benefits of the most simple exercise of all, walking. Wherever you work from, it’s possible to find a half an hour route right from your desk that you can enjoy each lunchtime. For some of us there are even dedicated walking groups that take place nearby. Mindful walking is a relatively new trend, but a very old practice, that involves paying attention to each of your senses in turn. Take time to breathe in the smells around you, notice the feeling of the breeze against your skin, look up at the buildings or clouds. Taking stock of each sense like this will help you feel grounded and connected. By the time your walk is finished you’ll feel ready for whatever the afternoon throws at you.
Leave a Reply