How Not to Work Through Your Lunch

We've all done it. Looked at the clock, it's lunch time, but that teetering pile of paperwork on our desk beckons us to stay and slog through it until it's done. Or maybe the boss has been riding you all morning about an impending end-of-the-day deadline, and you're falling behind, and noon time is the time of day where you don't have to answer the phone, and no one is bothering you, so it's prime work time right? Wrong!

Don't get me wrong, I've been an work-on-break offender! In fact, because I'm a freelance writer, and I work from home, so my "lunch hours" are not consistent. But when I was working as a sales representative for a premium denim company, I made lunch breaks mandatory for myself. My job was fast paced and stressful, and when I didn't take breaks, my ten-and-a-half our day felt like a fifteen hour day. I'd drag my weary body in the front door, flop down on the couch, and sometimes, I'd still be there in the morning, and one day would melt into the next. Other than feeling like you've been rolled over by a mack truck at the end of the day, there are a whole host of other reasons as to why you need to take back your lunch hours:

1) People who skip lunch, often skip meals. You're a grown adult, and by now, you should know better than to starve your body for the sake of convenience. And if you are eating, you've probably whipped down the street for something super unhealthy, and in that case, you might as well eat nothing! It's counter-productive for your health, and it directly effects the quality of the work you are producing.

2) People who skip lunch burn-out much quicker than those who take lunch. Several studies across Canada and the USA have indicated that in some cases, 40% of the employees on staff take a minimal lunch break, yikes! Those same individuals are sick more often, complain of body discomfort, and suffer from a series of sleep disorders. If you are working 24/7, you're not giving your brain time to recharge, refocus, and recalibrate.


3) People who skip lunch, give out the wrong impression with employers. This habit can work against you in a number of ways. If your employer catches wind that you're the guy who never takes breaks, they could potentially increase your work load if they think they can squeeze a few more projects out of you. It sounds horrible, but in the corporate world, sometimes, it's the nature of the beast. The other way working through your lunch is detrimental, is that you might be impressing upon your boss that your time management skills are less than stellar, and you need more time to conduct your work. Hmmm. That's never good.

If you're one of those individuals that's feeling burnt out, and work is becoming unbearable, take a time out. If you don't take it easy, you'll be sitting in front of a nurse, giving blood, and popping pills because your ticker's had enough! Life is about living, not surviving.

Road Rage or Unresolved Issues?

On more than one occasion, my better half has accused me of being an absolute tyrant behind the wheel. I'm not an irresponsible driver, in fact, I've been driving for more almost fifteen years, and only managed to snag one speeding ticket (and it wasn't even in my country!). But it's not my driving that makes my boyfriend's hair stand on end, it's my fits of rage when I feel slighted on the road.

I'm not an angry person by nature, in fact, I'm fairly laid back. I rarely raise my voice, and I don't seek out confrontation, but for some reason when I get behind the wheel, self-righteousness rears its ugly head. Whether its drivers yacking or texting on their cell phones, weaving in and out of traffic dangerously, or refusing to use their turn signals, I have moments when I'm stuck in the midst of gridlock and fantasize about what it would be like to be a traffic police officer. What I wouldn't give for the opportunity to pull over every idiot I possibly could, just so I could hand them an absurdly expensive ticket (or two!). This of course isn't going to solve my rage issues, so let's discuss.

Why would an otherwise perfectly sane individual absolutely lose their marbles in a brief moment? Let me be clear, I've never chased someone down in my car, nor have I ever had the urge to do anything violent. But my face goes flush, I get hot under the collar, and my heart begins to race. Words fly out of my mouth that I wouldn't dare speak in front of civil company. So who gets road rage? Well, anyone actually. Young, old, wealthy, not so wealthy; It includes any and all demographics.

Historically, men used to be the worst offenders, but women are rapidly catching up. Women may not be pulling handguns out of their glove compartments to handle business, but they're certainly running their mouths off like sailors that have been at sea for a year and a day. So how do we combat this sudden rage? I listen to classical music. It's dramatic, but soothing, and it allows me to focus on the road with out becoming fixated on stupid drivers. I also meditate. My mission is to get from point A to point B in one piece, and losing the plot accomplishes nothing except aggravate my ulcer and give me wrinkles.

If you find yourself raging out on the road, it might be worth doing a little self reflection. There could be something bothering you that you're subconsciously repressing. Take a deep breath, and just drive.

Meditate Don't Procrastinate

We all have stress. Each and everyone of us, at one point or another, comes across a situation that affects us physically. Whether it makes your heart race, your head ache or causes you to lose sleep, when stress manifests physically, it's time to stop and take notice. It's true what they say, stress kills. Over the last couple of months, there have been a significant number of changes in my life. My job is in jeopardy, I was recently excepted to a prominent university that I have to figure out how to pay for, and number of changes going on personally, and it's all a bit overwhelming.

So it was high time to get my stress and anxiety under wraps, and find a suitable way to bring some more calm to my chaotic life. I decided to take a serious look at the art of meditation. I must admit, I've always had some strong views about meditation. I had always associated it with religion, spirituality and weird chanting. I know, I know, I sound like an ignorant buffoon, but you'll be happy to hear I've since changed my perspective and have conducted a serious amount of research. I realized that mediating wasn't just for granola-eating tree-huggers, or people who dedicated obscene amounts of time to live on an ashram. Mediation is not specific to certain walks of life. Whether you're a crime scene investigator, a college student or a stay-at-home mom of three, everyone can benefit from a few moments of stillness in their day. So, let's get started!  
  
Set the scene Find a space in your house that will be dedicated to your meditation time. Make sure it's clutter free, and a space that you're going to be comfortable in. If you're a spiritual person, you can add a few iconic items that speak to your beliefs if you wish. Personally, I like to keep it simple. A few candles, and some essential oil nearby. The smell of Frangipani reminds me of my time in Bali, and immediately puts me at peace.

Find a comfortable position You don't have to sit with your legs crossed, I actually prefer to lay down on my back, that way I can focus on my breathing. You can sit in any position you want, as long as it doesn't take the focus away from what you're trying to accomplish, stillness and inner calm.


Breathing is everything We don't notice, but we spend most of our day with our shoulders at our ears; We breathe into our chest, and this is wrong. If you ever watched a baby sleep, you'll notice that they breathe deeply, and they breathe down into their belly. I would say that 90% of meditation is about breathing, and if you don't have that down, you're not going to have a very rewarding meditative experience.