Lunch is the break your day needs

Take a break and stay focused

There is science behind the belief that taking a lunch break is good for you. A study in a journal called Cognition cites that taking a break can help you stay focused all day long. It might sound paradoxical but taking time out of a busy day can help you get more done by the end of the day.

Not taking a lunch break can leave you more tired and with less ability to concentrate, making tasks harder to complete. But even 15 minutes away from what you are doing is enough time to refresh and refocus which makes coming back to the task at hand much more productive than slogging away without a break.

Our #takeawalk dare is a great way to pledge to take more breaks in your working week.

Good for mind and body

Taking a break by physically getting up from your desk, or leaving your area of work (for example if you’re ward based, making sure you leave the ward and go somewhere different) is so important. It gives the body a chance to stretch and move and helps to prevent MSK issues like a bad back or stiff neck. It also helps to get the circulation moving which is good for blood pressure. Sitting all day increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease but a brisk walk in the middle of the day, even for 10 minutes can help reduce that risk.

If you can get outdoors for a bit that is even better, fresh air and natural light are both feel-good factors that can boost our mood.

Should you be fortunate enough to work close to amenities you can use a lunch break to get some practical tasks done too, which can help to manage a busy to-do list and reduce stress.

The humble lunch break really is one of the most important parts of your day – so make sure to grab the opportunity every day and reap the rewards.

If you want to find out more…

There is so much written about why lunch breaks matter, we’ve selected a few that might be of interest if you want to find out more.

Some great tips here on how to make the most of your lunch break.

This article has a good broad overview of the benefits lunch breaks bring.

There are some interesting stats around lunch breaks in this blog, perfect sound bites to remind you why you should take them!