I’ve written in the past about the importance of your waking up ritual and your starting work ritual, but one of the times I see many, many people ignoring is their lunch time ritual.
I remember starting work with a senior executive client last year, and the shifty-eyed look he gave me when I asked what he did at lunch time. What was the answer? Typically, warm up his lunch in the office microwave, then go right back to his desk to review emails. We had already talked enough about energy management and the importance of breaks for him to know that that was probably not what I would recommend.
What I find fascinating is how that answer is very common, both for entrepreneurs and corporate professionals. We really have been brainwashed into thinking that breaks (even for lunch) aren’t productive! Somehow if we stop work (ever!) that’s a sign of poor work ethic… *pshah*
Au contraire, mes amis! Let’s talk a bit about energy.
Our Cyclic Nature
Many people have heard of the concept of our circadian rhythm, if only in the context of early birds and night owls. Our circadian rhythm is the natural force that brings us through a 24 hour cycle of being awake and asleep during each day. For some people their highest level of alertness is immediately after they wake up in the morning. For others, they get a boost of energy late before they go to sleep.
However, the cycle that’s less well known is your ultradian rhythm. This cycle is the pulse of your attention and energy throughout the day. Many professional speakers and trainers know that it’s hard to keep an audience’s attention beyond 90-minutes without a break. That’s because of our ultradian rhythm. Most adults function in pulses of concentration and attention, and after about 90-minutes we’re ready for a change of pace. You might be able to push through for 3 hours with some extra adrenalin, but after that are severely diminishing returns.
What does all this have to do with your lunch hour? Well, generally our lunch hour falls roughly 3 hours after we get to work…in other words, right when our bodies are ready for a rest.
When we push ourselves to work straight through lunch, then we’re actually going directly against our natural inclination. Can you do it? Sure, but it will cost you in stress and reduced energy throughout the afternoon. You are essentially trading 30 minutes of semi-functional time for what could have been 90+ minutes of focused, productive time that afternoon. You are unlikely to maintain the same effective pace straight through to 5pm.
Craft Your Lunch Ritual
Here’s the bottom line… TAKE THE BREAK! Even just 20-30 minutes away from your desk can allow you to be significantly fresher for the rest of the day.
When I’ve talked to clients in the past about leveraging their lunch break, they give me this slightly blank, confused look and ask, but “What would I do if I’m not at my desk?”
Let me give you a list of possible answers:
- Just eat – Enjoy savoring your food. Mindful eating can be a delightful and sensuous experience.
- Take a walk – a GREAT option to help you replenish both your physical and mental energy. A lunch time walk is great thinking time away from your usual work space.
- Read a book or journal – grab that novel you’ve been wanting to read, for many it’s the business book or industry journal that you never get to enjoy. Find a comfortable spot (away from your desk) and allow your mind to explore.
- Meditate – Learning to still your mind, even for just 5 minutes, can be a huge benefit to your productivity for the rest of the day.
- Stretch or do Yoga – Most of us spend a LOT of time in the same position in front of our computers, giving our bodies a chance to move allows our muscles to relax and re-energize.
- Write – Want time to work on that novel? Then, give your brain a chance to shift gears and play in a more creative space for 30 minutes.
- Talk to your colleagues – Get a social break to connect with others, talk about your lives, and just have fun together.
What’s most important: Give yourself a chance to mentally shift gears and leave your desk. Go anywhere else: another room in the house, the cafeteria, a chair in the building foyer, the cafe down the street. Grab a folding chair and sit in any green space you can find. The goal is to give both your mind and body the break that they richly deserve after 3 hours of good work.
Next Actions
What’s one thing that you could do differently today to start shifting your lunch time ritual? Maybe just take a walk to explore your neighborhood or building to find new nooks or crannies where you could come for future lunch breaks? Give yourself permission to enjoy your rest so that you can be even more ready to re-engage for the afternoon’s work.
Know someone who’s been skipping a lot of lunches? Then, make sure you send this to them on social media, and let them know that you care about them. But most of all, lead by example ;).
Image: Stockfresh.com ((c)Licensed use)
