While it’s easy to work through lunch eating at your desk, getting out of the office for an hour significantly improves your mood and productivity for the rest of the day. A study done by Tork has found that 90% of North American employees claim that taking meaningful lunch breaks helps them feel refreshed and ready to get back to work. Here are a few ideas of ways to spend your hour out of the office!
Exercise
So many fitness studios offer lunchtime classes! Usually these classes are a bit shorter and the studio will offer showers to help you get back to the office refreshed and on time. Not into fitness classes? Go to the gym or go for a run close to where you work.
Not only will you be done with your daily exercise, but you will actually be more productive for the rest of the day! The science behind it is simple: exercise stimulates the development of new Mitochondria in your cells, which produce the chemical that your body uses as energy, known as ATP. After working out on your lunch break, you will feel both physically energized and mentally boosted.
Practice Mindfulness
Use your lunch break as an opportunity to reset your mind for the afternoon! One of my favorite ways to practice mindfulness during lunch is by listening to the headspace app. Headspace is the perfect way for beginners to meditate, offering many themed sessions to fit your needs.
If meditation isn’t your thing, you can still practice mindfulness by making a plan for the rest of your day, reprioritizing your to-do list, or writing your grocery list. Give your eyes a well-deserved break from screens so you can finish your day off strong!
Get a mani/pedi
Take an hour of your day for some “me time.” Use your lunch break as an opportunity to do something that makes you truly happy and more relaxed! Whether it’s getting a manicure, a massage, or just strolling the aisles of Target, you will feel significantly more relaxed and ready to tackle your to-do list. Also, quite a few nail salons offer specials during the week and before the end of the work day. Grand Nails is a #PowerPlayer favorite!
Happify has found that “me time” significantly helps reboot our brains, improves concentration, and makes us more productive. Prioritizing your work-life balance during your lunch break will genuinely improve your attitude!
Run errands
During lunch, cross things off your to-do list! Not only will you feel more accomplished, you’ll have one less thing to get done after hours or on the weekends. You’d be surprised how much you can get done in an hour! Your lunch break is the perfect opportunity to get the errands done that you can’t do before or after work, like going to the post office or the bank. Just don’t forget to actually eat lunch when you get back to the office!