A Lovely Lunch

What does a perfect lunch look like to you? A nice restaurant, friends to eat with, maybe co-workers. Or maybe you just like solitude and a time to breathe and re-group. I say make the best of your break time when you can. Especially if you are working whether it be at home, office or otherwise.

I have gotten into a very bad habit at work and that is eating lunch at my desk. For a few weeks we were so slammed and short handed I had no choice but to grab my lunch out of the break room refrigerator and eat it at my desk while I answered the phones, took and changed reservations put out small fires etc etc. So I didn’t really get much of a break at all. And I could tell the difference. It sort of made me a little cranky. Well maybe a lot cranky.

My work place is a little out of the way and not close to any restaurants. We have a small restaurant on site but because of COVID it has been closed since last year and we’re not really sure about opening it this year. I do go into town occasionally, like on Wednesdays when I go to Sister Lunch or when I have a lunch meeting. My co-workers and I get takeout sometimes and bring it back to work but that still leaves the issue of going to the break room or sitting at my desk. The break room is pretty full right now because we have a lot of workers this time of year.

After a few weeks of craziness, work slowed down a little and we had a little breathing room. I decided one day to go out to my car and eat lunch. It was awesome!!! I know this is not rocket science and I have done it before in the past but it was just so relaxing. No phones to worry about, no one coming in to ask me a question, It was great!!! For just that thirty or forty minutes of down time I was able to regroup and re-energize.

The next day I returned to the car and ate my lunch in the warm sunshine and even had time to take a fifteen minute nap. I felt so rested and ready to head back into work. I started putting a book in the car to read and I brought some knitting. My husband always says I have the ability to build a nest anywhere that I am. I guess he is right.

Whatever you do don’t deny yourself the downtime that you need in the middle of your work day. You need it!!! Take it!!! It will make you much more productive and ready to face the rest of your work day.