Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose. I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.
I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff. I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.
At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into the business you love to run.
Today’s comment came from a busy professional when discussing prioritizing a performance review process for his company.
What is the importance of taking a break for lunch during the day? What are the benefits of taking a break in the middle of the day? Why shouldn’t you eat at your desk? How can people prioritize their lunch time to get the benefits out of it — and how can they convince their managers it’s important?
I will be blunt. People that eat lunch at their desk are lazy. I know we use the excuse that we have too much work to do and we don’t have time, yadda, yadda, yadda. But the truth is that we’re being lazy. It’s easier to just eat at the desk, than do make that lunch break work for you.
As with any work break – lunch should be an actual break to rejuvenate and reduce work day stress. Stress is the accumulation of frustration and anxiety. The key to eliminating stress during the day is to take periodic breaks throughout the day to diffuse the frustration before it gets to the stress level.
A break merely means to do something different that you were doing 1 minute ago. It doesn’t necessarily mean to “do nothing”. It means do something different. And that “something different” can still be in performance of your career and your business.
Another reason to get away from your desk at lunch is to use that time to business network with others. Use that lunch time to meet the right people that can propel your career further. Eating at your desk or even with the same people All The Time – actually keeps you in the same place (at this same desk and position). Instead, use the lunch hour to network with the people that can get you to that skip-level promotion.
Don’t work through lunch – INSTEAD WORK YOUR LUNCH.
Some things to make your lunch work for you are:
- Change your environment at lunch. Have lunch with different people. Have lunch in a different location so that you can meet new people – the right people for your career.
- Use the lunch to innovate and create with mentors, advisors and heroes. Initiate lunch time brainstorming session on revenue-generating proposals.
- Use the lunch hour for self-improvement such as attending a ToastMasters.org chapter to shore up your presentation and speaking skills.
- Invite experts and speakers to your Brown Bag Lunch series on the next generation technology or process improvement techniques that increase revenue and reduces expenses
- Regularly invite your manager, your sibling department managers, leaders on the next generation projects, and other important stakeholders. The more people that know who you are and what you bring to the table – the better is will be for you.
These are just a few things that will get your lunch working for you. Continue to use your imagination to make your lunch work for you. Now you can see that eating at your desk is a lazy-man’s lunch.
p.s. How can you convince your managers it’s important? Just continue to be transparent in what you are doing at lunch and invite them to your lunch presentations, brainstorming meetings, mentoring meetings, etc. When they understand what you aspire to accomplish with your lunch time, you will be seen as a leader in his/her organization.
For more information on these techniques, contact LauraRose@RoseCoaching.info
Take that first step and setup an appointment: https://www.timetrade.com/book/WFSFQ
I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.
With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.
I have a monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes