Staying at your desk during lunch is not good for your health or your career.

So, what are the most effective ways to use a break?

Plan ahead what you will do during lunch

To meet a friend for coffee, you have to plan and arrange it, otherwise you have to wait. You need to know in advance which store you will go to or which park you will walk in. Otherwise, part of the break will be spent thinking. Professionals don't plan serious business meetings, it's not the right time. Meetings should be completed at least 10 minutes before the end of the break so that you don't have to rush back to the office.

Get up from your desk

Even in case of critical workload, you should leave your computer at least for a while. If you absolutely have to work during this time, at least do it in a different place, change the picture before your eyes.

Develop relationships

Set yourself a goal: have lunch with a colleague from your department once a week, and with another colleague once a week. "You're guaranteed to learn something new about your organization or industry, find new mentors or even partners," says Ryan Kahn, founder of Hired Group, a recruitment agency.

Get organized

You can take advantage of the break not only to think about your work, but also to plan your personal life. Create a list of family events, meetings, conversations, masseur visits, or courses. Look at it during lunch, refine it, delete unnecessary items and add new ones. Ryan Kahn explains: "A sense of control and organization in your life will free up mental energy and reduce stress. So, you'll be more rested and able to continue to work effectively."

Eat.

Even if you had a late breakfast and can go without food until the evening, you should have a snack. Healthy eating expert Carly Schuna insists on the need to eat in the middle of the day: "After eating, your blood sugar rises, your body is energized, you concentrate more easily and respond better to stress." If you feel sluggish, even a short, low-calorie lunch will give you energy and help you last until the evening.

Take the opportunity to eat something healthy

Successful people eat healthy foods. They are conscious about their health, otherwise they would not be able to stay in good shape and achieve great results. Nutritionists remind us to eat slowly, choose different dishes and focus on the process. Inattention to food choices leads to fast food abuse, which is not only bad for health but also reduces performance in the afternoon.
Nutritionist Lisa De Fazio emphasizes that too fatty and sweet foods provoke drowsiness, and after the latter you will also get hungry again very quickly.
Set a goal: have lunch with a colleague once a week

Go in for sports

Going to the gym, jogging or swimming at lunchtime is invigorating and causes an adrenaline rush. In addition, regular exercise generally strengthens a person, helps to fight stress and concentrate better. In general, the middle of the day is considered the best time for sports. The body has already woken up and is fully functional, unlike in the morning, and at the same time it has not yet had time to accumulate fatigue, which sometimes interferes with evening training.

Reboot

Lunch is the perfect time to evaluate the progress you've made. Take time to reflect on the situation and find the positive aspects. If you've had a tough morning, use your lunch break to switch gears and start the day in a good mood.

Read more

Skilled professionals read on their breaks, but not emails or reports. They pick up specialized material from newspapers, blogs, and books, says Teri Hockett, a career counselor. Reading helps to concentrate, allows you to be alone and take a break from unnecessary communication, gives you the opportunity to exercise your brain and dive into another topic.

Go about your business

The afternoon is a good time to organize small tasks that don't have enough space in a dynamic workday. Making a personal call, writing a thank you note to someone, making an appointment - all of these things can be done at lunch. But first you need to eat.

Do what you love

Meet friends, go to sales, take a walk in the park. You should regularly turn your lunch break into a mini-vacation to refresh yourself and surprise your colleagues with a different perspective and new ideas. Of course, you can't do this every day, but sometimes a little holiday in the middle of the workday is simply necessary.

Take a break

If you've had a particularly stressful day, find a quiet place, turn off your phone, and relax as much as possible. You'll come back to the office a new person and possibly avoid a conflict with a coworker that would have otherwise occurred.
Organize small tasks that don't have enough space in a dynamic workday

Think about the future

Successful professionals are usually busy during the working day. They don't have time for quiet reflection because they have to solve immediate problems. But at the same time, they understand the need to strategically plan their own future in order to remain among the best. Part of their lunch time should be spent thinking about such plans.

Creative

During lunch, you can think about work or personal issues completely autonomously, without pressure from colleagues or imposing other people's points of view. Let your brain go and you can come up with such bright and extraordinary ideas that will definitely raise your professional rating.

Plan the afternoon

The workday continues, and you need to be as efficient as you were in the morning. Analyze your current tasks and prioritize them. Think about where you will start after the break. Then come back and get started.

Personal blog of nutritionist Lisa DeFazio: https://lisadefazio.com/

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