5 Tips to Making the Most of Your Lunch Break

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We should all look forward to it, that one hour in the day where we can take a pit stop to grab a tea or coffee and refresh ourselves after a morning of work – the lunch break. It might surprise you to learn that a Viking survey found that two-thirds of people admitted to working through their lunch break at least once a week, suggesting that we’re really not making the most out of our lunch breaks. But what can we do to make the most of this important break in the day?

Speak to Your Colleagues

Whether you work in a busy call centre, or a creative environment, it can be difficult to find the time in the day to speak to your colleagues. We’re all often guilty of putting our headphones in and burying ourselves in our smartphone. But we should all take time out of our lunch break to chat with and get to know your colleagues, it could prove a great time to bond and give you the type of social interaction that helps you truly switch off from work.

Get Some Exercise

 

We all know how important it is to keep our bodies active, especially if we spend most of our time sat at a desk. Finding the time in your schedule to exercise can be a difficult task, so using your lunch break could be the perfect time to get in a workout without eating into your social or domestic time! Whether you head to a local gym, strap on your running shoes or just go for a little wander, you’ll start feeling fitter and have a sense of achievement, plus it’s healthy to take some time away from the office. This can also be a social activity as well, if there is a running club at work, make sure you get involved!

Eat Well

Ensuring you refuel your mind and body with a good meal is vitally important, especially if you want to be at your most productive during the day. It might sound obvious that eating is important, however, with so many people skipping their lunch break and working through, it stands to reason that people aren’t taking the time out to eat. Plan your meals ahead and prep the night before, meaning you can sit down and eat with no hassle when lunchtime arrives!

Be Mindful

 

Mindfulness is a type of meditation that can help you reduce stress levels and allow you to take a breather in life. Meditation might conjure thoughts of people sat cross-legged on the floor, but mindfulness doesn’t require this at all. Instead, it’s all about removing all distractions and just allowing yourself to be present in the moment. Taking the time out for this kind of relaxation should help to free up some space in your mind for the afternoon!

Fresh Air and Vitamin D

Being stuck behind your desk in an office all day can be difficult, especially on sunny days. Your lunch break is the perfect time to escape the office and get some fresh air, exercise and Vitamin D from the sun! This can help you go back to your desk feeling refreshed and ready to go for the afternoon, without that feeling of FOMO during nice weather!

Do you have a lunchtime routine that gives you the perfect break from your working day? Let us know on Twitter @viking_chat.