We've all been there. You're swamped with meetings and deadlines, you're stressed, and you just don't feel like you have the time to get away from your office for lunch. So, you take out your ham sandwich and a bottle of water, move aside your piles of papers, business cards and other items on your desk, and you scarf down lunch while cleaning up your inbox and responding to emails. It can't hurt to spend lunch working every once in awhile, right? Well, there are actually some pretty big drawbacks to eating lunch at your desk. Not to mention, there are various benefits of taking a break during that time – even if you have a full workload. Read on for why you really shouldn't be eating at your desk:
Breaks are Important
You've probably heard it before, but breaks are an important way to give your brain some valuable time to rest and recuperate. Nobody can stay fully concentrated on work and be productive for hours at a time. And in fact, taking breaks is a proven way to boost energy levels and increase productivity.
You'll Appreciate a Change of Scenery
Think about how you feel when you get out of the office and away from all of those emails, phone calls, meeting requests and deadlines during lunch. The change of scenery is not only refreshing, but it's also important for maintaining creativity and even staying happy. According to NPR, taking a few minutes to go outside during lunch – even if you simply take a short walk around the block – has been proven to boost creativity. And the effects are even better if you can head to a more natural environment for a few minutes, like a nearby park. As far as boosting your mood, even if you're not eating, getting a little physical exercise during your lunch hour can decrease stress and anxiety and increase happiness.
You Don't Want to Create an 'Eat at Work' Office Culture
If you're a boss, manager or even a team leader, eating at your desk can be pretty detrimental to the office as a whole. People in any of these positions should set positive examples for the people they lead, and eating in the office can be just the opposite. If employees notice their bosses and managers eating at work, it sets a precedent – not only that eating at work is OK, but also that it's the norm in the office. It could potentially make employees feel like they shouldn't take a break. If you do want to stay in the office, eat in a break room or cafeteria rather than at your desk. Hopefully employees will follow suit.
It's Just Plain Gross
Studies have found that people's desks are covered in tons of germs and bacteria (in some cases, more even than a toilet seat). Consider the last time you cleaned your desk, keyboard or mouse and how often you touch these items each day. If nothing else, take a break for lunch to avoid transferring all of the germs onto the food you're eating (or at least bring in some Clorox wipes to give everything a nice once over).
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