WEBVTT - Second Cup: Build a better lunch break

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is to turn your lunch break into a mini

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<v Speaker 1>daily vacation. This episode is first airing in January, which

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<v Speaker 1>is a month when a lot of us think about resolutions,

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<v Speaker 1>and some of these resolutions seem like a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>hard work, but resolving to make more of your lunch

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<v Speaker 1>hour can actually be quite a bit of fun. The

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<v Speaker 1>first step, well, take a lunch break. In some jobs,

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<v Speaker 1>this is contractually built in, but in others it's a

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<v Speaker 1>lot more nebulous. Sometimes people imagine that they're scoring points

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<v Speaker 1>by staying at their desks all day, but in reality,

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<v Speaker 1>we all take breaks, whether they're conscious or unconscious. If

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<v Speaker 1>you don't take a real break, brain will take a

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<v Speaker 1>fake one as you start reading the same emails over

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<v Speaker 1>and over again and then mysteriously find yourself perusing cat

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<v Speaker 1>videos on YouTube. Better to actually get away from your

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<v Speaker 1>desk for a bit. Then there's the question of what

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<v Speaker 1>you do during your lunch break. Most people do consume food,

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<v Speaker 1>though if you want to use your lunch break completely

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<v Speaker 1>for something else, it can be okay to eat at

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<v Speaker 1>your desk later, I would argue against grabbing the same

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<v Speaker 1>food from the same quick serve place next to your

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<v Speaker 1>office daily. Instead, really think about what could make this

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<v Speaker 1>meal special. Maybe once a week you go out somewhere

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<v Speaker 1>decent with your favorite colleagues. Maybe once every other week

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<v Speaker 1>you invite a colleague you don't know well but would

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<v Speaker 1>like to get to know. You could also arrange to

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<v Speaker 1>meet a friend or your spouse once every other week

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<v Speaker 1>or two for a midday meal that will definitely feel

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<v Speaker 1>like the day's highlight. If you're watching your budget, you can,

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<v Speaker 1>of course bring food for these lunches, but even and

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<v Speaker 1>so try to make it special. A picnic with a

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<v Speaker 1>friend in the park some Wednesday noon is going to

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<v Speaker 1>feel like a real treat. Of course, some days you

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<v Speaker 1>might prefer to eat quickly so you can do other things.

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<v Speaker 1>There are several other options for feeling like lunch is

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<v Speaker 1>a mini vacation. One is to get some exercise. You

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<v Speaker 1>can go for a twenty to thirty minute walk with

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<v Speaker 1>a friend or colleague or someone you're mentoring, or just

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<v Speaker 1>by yourself if you'd like to clear your head. You'll

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<v Speaker 1>definitely return refreshed. If you've got access to a gym.

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<v Speaker 1>You could go once or twice a week to take

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<v Speaker 1>a favorite class, just take a shorter lunch break on

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<v Speaker 1>the other days, or do some serious strength training. A

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<v Speaker 1>twenty minute circuit three times a week could get you

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<v Speaker 1>back in time and would check off this exercise box

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<v Speaker 1>that even a lot of people who do regular aerobic

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<v Speaker 1>activity tend to skip. I'm a big fan of reading

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<v Speaker 1>at lunch. If you suspect people will bother you if

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<v Speaker 1>you sit at your desk with a book, well go elsewhere,

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<v Speaker 1>a park, a nearby coffee shop, your car. Squeezing in

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<v Speaker 1>an extra twenty five minutes of reading each workday is

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<v Speaker 1>an extra two hours each week. Since most books only

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<v Speaker 1>take about four hours or so to read, that can

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<v Speaker 1>buy you an extra twenty four books a year right there.

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<v Speaker 1>You could also do creative work. Some things like painting

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<v Speaker 1>take a lot of equipment and time to set up,

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<v Speaker 1>so you might not do that, but that's not the

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<v Speaker 1>case for sketching or cross stitching. Or you could write.

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<v Speaker 1>Twenty five minutes might not seem like much, but you

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<v Speaker 1>might be able to get in three hundred words or

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<v Speaker 1>so during this time. If you do at that pace,

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<v Speaker 1>you'll be able to write a book in a year.

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<v Speaker 1>A lunch break could also be a time for reflective

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<v Speaker 1>or spiritual activities. Meditating or praying can make you feel

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<v Speaker 1>more centered. Some houses of worship in your business districts

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<v Speaker 1>have short midday services, or you might be able to

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<v Speaker 1>squeeze in some volunteering by doing short online mentoring sessions.

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<v Speaker 1>And of course you can combine all of these. The

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<v Speaker 1>key is to actually think about it ahead of time.

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<v Speaker 1>Longtime listeners know that I am a big fan of

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<v Speaker 1>planning our weeks before we are in them. Friday afternoons,

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<v Speaker 1>as you are thinking about the upcoming weeks priorities, look

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<v Speaker 1>at your schedule and map out your lunch breaks. Maybe

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<v Speaker 1>on Monday you and a friend who works nearby meet

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<v Speaker 1>for lunch. On Tuesday, you go to a thirty minute

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<v Speaker 1>yoga class. On Wednesday, and Thursday you read. On Friday

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<v Speaker 1>you go for a walk with a favorite colleague. Each

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<v Speaker 1>day is a vacation in its own way. It's possible

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<v Speaker 1>that all these planned lunch breaks won't happen. Work and

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<v Speaker 1>personal emergencies might come up. But if you've planned cool

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<v Speaker 1>stuff every day, it's okay. You'll still get to do

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<v Speaker 1>most of them and it will be pretty hard to

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<v Speaker 1>have a bad week if that's the case. If you

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<v Speaker 1>use your lunch break for something fun, I'd love to

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<v Speaker 1>hear about it. You can let me know your lunch

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<v Speaker 1>break plans at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and

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<v Speaker 1>here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with

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<v Speaker 1>me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.

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<v Speaker 1>That's b E the number four then Breakfast pod. You

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<v Speaker 1>can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast

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<v Speaker 1>at iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast is spelled out

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<v Speaker 1>with all the letters. Thanks so much. Should I look

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<v Speaker 1>forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production

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<v Speaker 1>of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app,

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<v Speaker 1>Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.