Tips From a Wellness Coach: How to Make the Most of Your Lunch Break
Wellness Coach Advice: The Importance of a Good Lunch Break
Do you or your employees ever eat lunch at your desks—or skip lunch altogether? Do you find yourself getting “hangry” (hungry + angry) when lunch time is approaching? Have you noticed that productivity tends to go down after lunch? Have you noticed a decline in company culture in your workplace?
If any of these apply to you, it could have a lot to do with how you—and your employees—are spending your lunch breaks. To help you increase productivity and employee morale, here are some great tips on making the most of your lunch break.
1. Don’t skip your lunch break.
If you take anything away from these tips, we hope it’s this. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, take advantage of your lunch break. There are a few reasons for this.
- A. First, you’ll be much less likely to get burned out by the end of the day if you take a break. When you give your mind 30‒60 minutes of downtime to focus on something other than work, you’ll feel much more motivated to continue working in the afternoon.
- B .Secondly, food fuels your body and mind. When you eat something, you’re powering your body up for another few hours of work—rather than trying to run on empty.
- C. Taking a lunch break is great for employee morale and company culture. You and/or your employees can use the lunch break as an opportunity to get to know each other in a casual environment. Employees who take lunches together tend to work better during the work hours.
2. Make your food decisions before you get hungry.
If you’re heading out to eat for lunch, try to make plans before your start getting hungry. And then stick to those plans! When we’re hungry, we tend to be more likely to eat food that is “easy”, carb-loaded, and bad for us. A great way to solve this is by ordering ahead. If you’re worried about time, plenty of restaurants offer online ordering, so you can order takeout or delivery from a healthy place near you.
3. Make smart food choices during your lunch break.
What you eat during lunch can have a serious impact on your productivity and mood for the rest of the day. While pizza or a sub sandwich can be tempting, they’re loaded with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can give you a boost of energy right away, but soon after eating, you’ll likely be feeling tired and unfocused. The same applies to eating too much food.
If you want to be at your best after lunch, stick with smaller portions, and go heavy on the protein. Fish, fruit, whole grains, and fiber-rich foods are some of the best foods you can eat for productivity. For an even better meal, finish off your lunch with some dark chocolate. The caffeine in dark chocolate can give you a little boost in energy as well!
4. Your lunch break doesn’t just have to be for eating.
If you have the time, try to incorporate exercise, mindfulness, or something fun into your lunch break. Try taking a walk around the block, following a short guided meditation, reading a book, or watching an episode of your favorite show. Doing something for yourself can do wonders for your mood for the rest of the day, and it’s a great way to help with managing stress.
How a Wellness Coach Can Improve Workplace Productivity
A wellness coach can work with you as an individual or with your entire workplace. Wellness coaches concentrate on fitness, nutrition, stress management, weight management, and other health-related issues. During our wellness and ergonomics consulting services, one of our wellness coaches will work with you and your employees on these aspects of wellness. With the help of a wellness coach, you should see an increase in productivity, improvements in employee morale, and more.
Find out how a wellness coach can improve your workplace below.
