Time for a break?

When was the last time you took a lunch break? An actual full lunch hour?

Despite being on maternity leave for the last 12 months, I very rarely have had what I would deem to be any ‘me time’. I very rarely stop working, and even in the small snippets of potential downtime I have between parenting madness, I tend to be blogging or planning my next business adventure!

Having worked in an office for most of my adult life, I can honestly say I can’t remember the last time I took a full lunch break. It is so easy in a busy and demanding role to take the attitude of powering through – but have you ever thought about the long term effects of such an approach?

A recent survey conducted by Workthere found that 52% of UK workers skip their lunch break all together at least once a week, and 37% rarely leave the office at lunchtime. The average UK worker now takes just 34 minutes on average for lunch – which although a little depressing perhaps, was actually more than I was expecting!

According to the research, 15% of workers surveyed felt that there was a lack of adequate kitchen facilitates in their office, while a worrying 12% feel pressure to work throughout their lunch. However, interestingly, over a quarter of respondents believe that they are more productive in the afternoon when they DO go outside and leave the office environment at lunchtime!

As a HR Advisor, I found it somewhat amusing yet unsurprising to read that when it comes to skipping lunchbreaks, employees in HR are the worst offenders – with 72% of them working through – ironic given that we, of all people should be reinforcing the health & safety and emotional wellbeing benefits of taking a break.

32% of those surveyed wanted quiet space around their offices. I have always admired the Google Sleep pods – the thought of being able to have a 30 minute nap during my lunch break to me is far more appealing than sitting in a canteen eating a semi stale sandwich!

Office interior design company Penketh Group also did their own similar research. They create tailored collaborative areas or quiet zones for workplaces and found that 91% of employees felt it was important to have a space where they could recharge and re-energise. They also found that employees who ate together in large groups are 36% more likely to communicate outside lunch hours.

Why Should You Take a Break?

It may seem obvious, but a change of scenery can work wonders when you work in a predominantly sedentary office based role. Stretching your muscles and getting some exercise during your lunch break can help clear your mind and reduce stress, as well as get in some much needed steps when you otherwise stand very little during the day.

When you have so much work to do, there may be the tempration to plough through in the hope that you can then leave work on time, but you may find that this is actually counter productive – it is proven that taking a short break away improves your productivity and helps you work more effectively on your return.

From a financial point of view, the number of additional hours you work by not taking your lunch break also soon add up!

So if you are guilty of working through your lunch break, why not set yourself a challenge next week? Take a break, move AWAY from your desk, and go and sit outside. Enjoy the last few bits of summer sunshine that we are likely to have before the darker nights and dingy weather sets in. Go for a stroll, read a book, have a hot cup of coffee and do all the things that you otherwise can’t when you’re at home.

Take a Break – You’ve earned it!!!

*This is a collaborative post*