Do you take a lunch break?

Sometimes, if you're in the middle of something and don't want to lose focus, or if you have to schedule meetings over lunch-hour to accommodate the other person, you might miss out on a much-needed break. 

You will often hear that we should be taking short "breaks" throughout the day if possible, to give ourselves some time to rest and re-focus. This can be either getting up from our desk to walk around the office for 5 minutes, grabbing a coffee, stretching in your chair or powering down for 15 minutes to read a bit of a good book. These short breaks essentially allow you to recharge. 

“It’s critical to make the most of lunch and remind yourself that by taking a proper break you will accomplish more in the long run, and that productivity and creativity will increase, while your levels of stress and fatigue will diminish,” says career and workplace expert Michael Kerr.

In a recent article I read on Forbes.com, Michael and other experts list 14 things you should do during your lunch break. These will depend on your job, personal preferences and workplace culture, but we should all be trying to do as many of these as possible to ensure we get the most out of our downtime. 

1. Make a plan
2. Take a real break
3. Get up from your desk or work space
4. Eat and enjoy your food 
5. Do what you can't do in the mornings or evenings (i.e. errands)

To see the rest of the tips and more information on each, read the full article here.