Let’s Do Lunch!
by Jacqueline Stader

Let’s do lunch sometime. How many times have you heard or said that but never followed through? Lunch isn’t just a time to refuel the body but also a great time to refuel our mind and soul. Even if you only get half an hour, if you plan ahead and have your lunch made you can eat and still have 15 minutes to relax, clear your mind and reset before launching into the afternoon.

Through the years I have often grabbed a quick bite and performed all the tasks I could in 50 minutes. The ultimate beat the clock activity. Some days it was running errands, picking up the dry cleaning, paying the bills, or balancing the checkbook. During the holidays I was usually shopping in the mall at lunchtime. Armed with a list and a time limit you’d be surprised what you can accomplish in 45 minutes. If you’re not close to a mall or shopping area surf the Internet during this time. You can actually get more shopping done online if you use the same plan of attack, enter with a list and set a timer!

This special time that is placed in the middle of our workday can be creatively used. Yet when I ask clients if they daily take a lunch. Usually the answer is “No, I work through lunch” or “Lunch, what’s that?” Surveys show that 60% of the work force eats lunch at their desks. This is the wrong thing to do. You need this time to release stress and reset to get the most out of the rest of your day.

Some take this time to walk or get another form of exercise, others may read a book in a nearby park or even in their car. If you’re a multi-tasker then you’re probably walking in the park listening to an audio book on your iPod. In larger offices, hospitals and universities, lunchtime learning modules are available. Nurses often receive CEU’s during lunch breaks.

In our training center, I frequently noticed a man walked the halls twice and then would get on the elevator. Waiting for the elevator one evening I asked him if he did an inspection daily. He stated it wasn’t an inspection so much as it was a form of stress release. When he felt too stressed out to be efficient he walked each floor twice then up the stairs to the next floor and repeated this up to the sixth floor then took the elevator back down to his office. He said it worked like a charm. By the time he got back to his office he had cleared the stress and could focus on the task at hand with a renewed spirit.

It’s easy to take this precious time each day and fill it with extra work, and occasionally that is the best thing to do. But it shouldn’t be your habit. Take this time and focus on refueling your body and mind, releasing you from the pressures of the workplace. In no time at all you’ll see how these 30 or 60 minutes can have a positive impact on your attitude.

Jacqueline Stader is a Clinical Research Lecturer and Trainer. She supports clinical research personnel by sharing proven techniques, strategies, information and tips that inform and educate.

Visit her website at www.ortsedu.com
Copyright © 2006, by Jacqueline Stader. All rights reserved.