We’ve all been there. You’ve been having a pretty busy day at work and still have so much more left to do that you decide you don’t have time to get up and go over to the cafeteria to have lunch. So you munch on your salad or sandwich while continuing to sit at your desk and continue working.
Stop!
It’s never a good idea to eat lunch at your work area, but if you tend to do it more often than not, then you need to make some serious changes in that habit. You may think that taking time away from work to eat will cause a loss of productivity, but the exact opposite is actually true. Long periods of work without breaks can cause a loss of productivity and an increase in stress and anxiety levels. What’s more is that it can even lead to a plethora of health issues, both mental and physical!
Here are some of the most important reasons why you should never eat lunch at your desk:
Joint Pain
Staying seat for long periods of time can cause tension in your joints and muscles. That’s why it’s important to get up and walk a few steps every now and then. Now, most of us tend to get lost in our work and forget to do that, which is why taking time away from work during lunch hours is so important. Not doing so can cause your core muscles to weaken, which can lead to dire effects on other vital parts of your body.
If you have a desk job that requires you to stay seated for long hours, there are some simple stretches and exercises you can do throughout the day to prevent such pain and ailments.
Monotony
Work, work, and more work can make your life pretty one-tone. If you don’t take time off from work even to have some lunch, you may be missing out on other opportunities to enrich your life, whether it be forming relationships with your coworkers, or even truly enjoying and savoring your food.
Take a break from the monotony to enjoy the other perks that life has to offer. This could be as simple as watching a few funny videos on your phone to take your mind off of things or going on a little walk to get some coffee. Plus, taking your mind off of work for a little while helps you focus better once you get back!
Increased Stress
Staying at your desk all day isn’t just a way to make your life boring, but it can ultimately lead to an increase in stress and anxiety. If you don’t step away from your desk even during lunchtime, there’s no way to take your mind off of all the work that needs to be done, let alone enjoy the simple things as mentioned above.
Ultimately, this will lead to a build-up of stress, and ironically, even a reduction in productivity. Too much stress has also been proven to cause several health problems, both mental and physical. Getting up from the work desk at lunch is a way to combat these effects.
Less Productivity
Yes, as we’ve already mentioned, working continuously without a break can lead to a reduction in productivity – presumably not your goal when you decide to eat lunch at your work desk.
Multitasking is seen as some sort of massive achievement, but in reality, when you do more than one task at a time, the amount of focus and energy you put into each of them tends to be less than ideal. This could lead to more mistakes, or even having to do it all over again from the start. Quality of work may suffer drastically. Therefore, it’s always best to take the time to do things one at a time, allocating time for each task to be completed adequately before moving on to the next – and this includes eating lunch!
Brain Fog
Staying seated for long hours in one place can cause brain fog. You need to move around and work your muscles to ensure that there is adequate blood circulation. Plus, a change in scenery can trigger a psychological response, refreshing your brain as it now has something new to explore and take in. When you do get back to work, a refreshed mind and body will help you focus better and work faster. Taking a little break can actually improve the quality and quantity of work.
Burn Out
As you work, your body’s “battery” begins draining. For most people, lunch break is the time when their energy source gets replenished. If you do not do use that time to get up and walk away, then the battery continues to drain until you simply shut down. Then you’re just going through the motions until it is time for you to go home. This can bleed over to your personal life as well because you are so tired and burnt out by the time you get home that you don’t have the bandwidth to spend time or do things with your loved ones.
