How to Have a Productive Lunch Break

For some people, their daily lunch break serves as a reprieve; a nice break from their otherwise hectic workday where they can get away from work, away from their desk and not only enjoy some food, but some peace of mind as well. While lunch breaks are important, if you take a look at some of today’s most successful individuals, chances are you won’t see them taking long lunch breaks and spending all of their time eating, relaxing or surfing the web. Today’s most successful individuals make the most of their lunch break and they strategically plan out what they are going to do and how they are going to utilize this break so that it actually benefits them for the rest of the day.

When your lunch break rolls around, you shouldn’t just immediately drop everything and relax. You need to think about what you are doing and plan out a productive lunch break, and here is how.

Get away from the computer screen.

There are so many people today who make it to their lunch break and automatically continue to spend time in front of their computer screen. Whether they are watching videos, online shopping or scouring the internet, it seems as though more people than ever are spending their lunch breaks on their computer. If you are someone who already spends a majority of their day in front of a computer screen, this is one of the worst things that you can do. When it is time for your lunch break, step away from the computer for the majority of the time you are on break. This also means stepping away from your phone screen or tablet. I

t doesn’t mean you can’t be doing any work, it just means you need to stop scaring at your computer screen. It will give your eyes, your mind and your neck a break in the middle of the day. If you take just an hour break from a screen, you will find you return to work, refreshed, refocused and ready to get some things done. Your eyes won’t be as tired, your brain won’t be as foggy and your neck won’t hurt as much from straining at the screen.

Go outside and get fresh air.

If you really want to give your whole mind and body a nice break during the day, go outside and get some fresh air. You can walk, read, sit or just relax but try to get outside. It can really lift your spirits, clear your mind and a little sunshine can actually lift your mood. This is a great habit to get in. Chances are when you get back inside you will be refocused and ready to take on the afternoon, and you will be in much better spirits. This is just as important as taking a break from your computer screen because it gives your mind some time to relax and refresh. When you return to work, you will find it is like getting back to work with a fresh new perspective and a fresh pair of eyes.

Do breathing exercises to cut stress.

There is little that you can do in order to eliminate stress from your day-to-day life in the office. However, there are things you can do to cut down on the amount of stress that you experience at work. When you take a lunch break, it is important that you emphasize the break part of this time of your day. You need to not only take a physical break from working, but you need to take a mental break as well. This is a great time to cut down on the amount of stress that you experience during the day and to regain your composure. Take the time to do some deep breathing exercises. Take multiple deep breaths in and out and work on clearing your mind. It can go a long way in cutting down stress and cutting out negative thoughts. If you need some help on learning about breathing exercises, consider some of the yoga-centered breathing exercises, they are meant to help center you and help you eliminate stress from your entire body.

Keep these three important facts in mind when it comes to planning your lunch break. They can go a long way in helping you have a more focused, more productive and better lunch break each and every day.