Build a better lunch break

Turn your mid-day meal into a mini-vacation

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is to turn your lunch break into a
mini daily vacation. This episode is first airing in January,

(00:24):
which is a month when a lot of us think
about resolutions, and some of these resolutions seem like a
lot of hard work, but resolving to make more of
your lunch hour can actually be quite a bit of fun.
The first step, well, take a lunch break. In some jobs,
this is contractually built in, but in others it's a
lot more nebulous. Sometimes people imagine that they're scoring points

(00:48):
by staying at their desks all day, but in reality,
we all take breaks, whether they're conscious or unconscious. If
you don't take a real break, you're rain will take
a fake one as you start reading the same emails
over and over again, and then mysteriously find yourself perusing
cat videos on YouTube. Better to actually get away from

(01:11):
your desk for a bit. Then there's the question of
what you do during your lunch break. Most people do
consume food, though if you want to use your lunch
break completely for something else, it can be okay to
eat at your desk later, I would argue against grabbing
the same food from the same quick serve place next
to your office daily. Instead, really think about what could

(01:33):
make this meal special. Maybe once a week you go
out somewhere decent with your favorite colleagues. Maybe once every
other week you invite a collegue you don't know well
but would like to get to know. You could also
arrange to meet a friend or your spouse once every
other week or two for a midday meal that will
definitely feel like the day's highlight. If you're watching your budget,

(01:57):
you can of course bring food for these lunches, but
even so, try to make it special. A picnic with
a friend in the park some Wednesday June is going
to feel like a real treat. Of course, some days
you might prefer to eat quickly so you can do
other things. There are several other options for feeling like
lunch is a mini vacation. One is to get some exercise.

(02:20):
You can go for a twenty to thirty minute walk
with a friend or colleague or someone you're mentoring, or
just by yourself if you'd like to clear your head.
You'll definitely return refreshed. If you've got access to a gym,
you could go once or twice a week to take
a favorite class, just take a shorter lunch break on
the other days, or do some serious strength training. A

(02:44):
twenty minute circuit three times a week could get you
back in time and would check off this exercise box
that even a lot of people who do regular aerobic
activity tend to skip. I'm a big fan of reading
at lunch. If you suspect people will bother you if
you sit at your desk with a book, will go elsewhere,

(03:04):
a park, a nearby coffee shop, your car. Squeezing in
an extra twenty five minutes of reading each work day
is an extra two hours each week. Since most books
only take about four hours or so to read, that
can buy you an extra twenty four books a year
right there. You could also do creative work. Some things

(03:26):
like painting take a lot of equipment and time to
set up, so you might not do that, but that's
not the case for sketching or cross stitching. Or you
could write. Minutes might not seem like much, but you
might be able to get in three words or so
during this time. If you do at that pace, you'll
be able to write a book in a year. A

(03:49):
lunch break could also be a time for reflective or
spiritual activities. Meditating or praying can make you feel more centered.
Some houses of worship in your business districts have midday services,
or you might be able to squeeze in some volunteering
by doing short online mentoring sessions. And of course you
can combine all of these. The key is to actually

(04:12):
think about it ahead of time. Long time listeners know
that I am a big fan of planning our weeks
before we are in them. Friday afternoons, as you are
thinking about the upcoming week's priorities, look at your schedule
and map out your lunch breaks. Maybe on Monday you
want a friend who works nearby meet for lunch. On Tuesday,

(04:33):
you go to a thirty minute yoga class. On Wednesday,
and Thursday you read. On Friday, you go for a
walk with a favorite colleague. Each day is a vacation
in its own way. It's possible that all these planned
lunch breaks won't happen. Work and personal emergencies might come up.
But if you've planned cool stuff every day, it's okay.

(04:58):
You'll still get to do most of them, and it
will be pretty hard to have a bad week. If
that's the case. If you use your lunch break for
something fun, I'd love to hear about it. You can
let me know your lunch break plans at Before Breakfast
podcast at i heeart media dot com. In the meantime,

(05:18):
this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making
the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to
hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions,
or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook,
and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four,

(05:44):
then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me
an email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com.
That before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.
Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.
Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For

(06:06):
more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart
Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows. H