Today: Eat Lunch! And Get Outside.
While relaxing on my balcony and making the most of a rain-free day, I sat eating my lunch and reading the Sunday Telegraph, I stumbled across an article by Brittany Stack: Aussies are working longer hours than ever: Dining al desko. She shared research, conducted by Mark McCrindle whom I respect greatly for his research accuracy, which identified:
- 28% of Aussies eat lunch at their desks;
- 60% admitted to skipping lunch; and
- Only 4% bring their lunch daily.
Go outside for lunch!
I was amazed by these numbers. My mouth was left wide opened by these findings and my lunch put on a hold for a few seconds while I collected my thoughts.
Let me be upfront and say this, whether you are an employer or employee get off your butt and away from desk at lunch. Or based on the statistics above, at least have lunch!
Obviously, with my background, I am going to want you to have a healthy lunch – not too many carbs; some fruit; water. But to be honest I don’t mind too much if it is a chicken schnitzel! What I care about is:
- Number 1 – you have lunch!
- Number 2 – you have lunch away from your desk!
Eating regularly (good food) keeps your metabolism going and provides you the energy to live your life. For the sake of your personal health, you cannot afford to skip any meals: breakfast, lunch or dinner!
McCrindle’s research found that less than half of those that ate lunch at their desk went outside for lunch. Do we guess then that it is about 12% of workers get any fresh air at lunch?
So let’s be realistic about your productivity at work when you haven’t eaten – poor. And as Ms McElhone says your performance at work when you haven’t refreshed for half an hour away from your desk – poor! So why do it?
It is in your personal best interests to have a break. It is in the businesses best interest to have a break. I just don’t get why you wouldn’t?
The business will not go broke in a 30 minute lunch break! It would be highly unlikely you would miss any career progressing opportunities in a 45 minute lunch break. You also probably would not miss any phone calls that you couldn’t call back after a 60 minute break. And by taking a break, re-fueling with healthy food, fresh air, and having oxygenated blood pumping through your veins you will positively affect your decision making, problem solving and clarity in thinking – not to mention stop yourself dozing off by about 3:30pm!
I simply can’t believe this research. I mean I can believe the numbers, I just cannot fathom the results!
While the general thrust of the article was about working overtime and not being paid, I would like to quote the final 3 paragraphs from the non-clear thinking Ms McElhone:
“Publicist for Peep Toe Shoes, Rosie McElhone, eats lunch at her desk five days a week to keep up with the endless tasks her job requires.
But the 24-year-old said she would probably be more productive if she took an extended lunch break.
“You would be able to refresh and re-energise and come back in the afternoon and have it not drag on,” she said. “But there are just so many distractions.””
What time is lunch for you today? And where are you having it?
Great reminder post Justin and yes startling stats. Us dietitians are big on the mindful eating movement. In order to eat to appetite satisfaction & keep hunger on an even keel you need to turn off all distracters too – the TV, the phone…even Twitter!
GREAT article – and something I was discussing on twitter today (and I’ll be tweeting this article to the person concerned!).
I’m lucky as I work from home so can have a lot of healthy (and sometimes less healthy) food options for lunch and can I take a lunch break every day without the boss glaring at me – and I do.
However when I worked elsewhere, and had staff, I made it a general rule that they had to leave their desks for at least 30 minutes every lunch time and have a break. And that ideally they would have at least a 10 minute walk around the block to get some fresh air so they would be more refreshed in the afternoon.
Our office was next to a gym and I tried hard to encourage them to have a lunchtime workout if they were a member, or to go for a swim, or to join the office walking club. We had a flexible work environment so if they wanted to take up to 2 hours for lunch they could.
I was ASTOUNDED by their resistance and the excuses they gave when they argued with me as to why they couldn’t go out. I said if I could they could. In the end I had to inlcude it as a KPI and in the performace review of a couple of particularly resistant staff. And eventually, they all went out at least 4 days a week for a break, which meant productivity was a lot higher in the afternoon and the afternoon chocolate consumption was a lot lower!