Is the Lunch Break Going Extinct?

Today, it seems that the "lunch hour" is the biggest myth of office life. Many workplace experts suspect that even those workers who are allotted a half hour for lunch, often never leave their desks.

The move to shorter or non-existent lunches is in some cases self-imposed. Many workers remain at their desk and graze throughout the day. Those who do leave the office often dash around doing errands, especially women who must rush from work to pick up children. People are just too busy these days to take a leisurely lunch. They want to finish their work and leave at a reasonable hour so they can have some quality time with family and friends.

Giving up your lunch break could actually diminish your productivity, causing you to end up putting in more hours in the long run. The brain needs a rest in order to maintain concentration. Joe Takash, a business consultant, claims lunch breaks can "help boost creativity and profits."

People need the mid-day break. "They need to eat," demands Kathleen Hall, a stress and work-life balance expert. "Food boosts mental and physical productivity and regulates moods. Certain foods can also fight anxiety, stress and panic, which is good if you're having an especially difficult day."

Popular among younger employees, is lunch break computer games. Available online, these free games offer short, fun, stimulating diversions, but they don't provide a leisurely environment to eat lunch. Remember, the human body needs food, fresh air, exercise and relaxation to perform at its best.

Top image courtesy of Ziv Pugatch. Bottom image courtesy of Matt Seppings.

Comments

[Ara]

Oh yeah I truly agree. We mustn't try to skip our lunch coz, its very important! Especially when we need to accomplish a pile of paper works in our desk, reports and etc. If we can't get out in our cubicle and go to cafeteria we should need to have our ready packed lunch in which we've prepared it early morning. The food we eat helps us have more energy and become focus in what we are doing. I've tried it before, skipping lunch break is totally awful, it only made me exhausted. So, I tried bringing my packed lunch with me. With the use of a stainless steel tiffin carrier from Happy Tiffin (http://www.happytiffin.com) its truly a great solution for me. Coz, I can put there all my favorite foods without needing to mix it all in one container because it has two to four separate plates with integrated secure lock in both sides to prevent my foods to leak. And now, I can eat and work comfortably.