Over the years, I've learned to appreciate and value my lunch breaks. If I could give them a big fat bear hug, I'd do it in a heart beat.
Why?
Because sometimes (okay, a lot of times), you just need to step away from the computer. Seriously.
When I first got out of undergrad, I found myself working through many a lunch break. Sandwich in one hand, phone in the other. Over time, I grew to be a very bitter, very irritable and very unstable co-worker.
All work and no play make Julie a dull girl.
Fast forward almost a decade (which I find entirely too difficult to believe), and I force myself to take my lunch breaks. They're my time.
I make it a point to do something for me doing my lunch breaks -- go to the gym, go outside just so I can remember what it's like to be in the sun, pull out my personal laptop and tether some righteous interwebs from my iPhone so I can get some blogging in. That hour? It's for me.
It's taken some doing, but I've more or less learned how to block all things work-related out of my head during this time. I still find myself on the treadmill checking my Blackberry on occasion, but I'm getting better about it. Some day I have this crazy goal of leaving the Blackberry at my desk during lunch. Insanity. I know.
There's no question that taking some "me time" out of my work day has helped keep my sanity (more or less) in check. I have to remember to dial it down and remember that life happens whether I have time to focus on it or not -- so even if I have to spend the time scheduling hair and doctor appointments, it's still about me. Not work. Go Team Julie.
What does your lunch break look like? Do you take the time to focus on you?
_____________________
This time last year:
