The Danger of Skipping Lunch Breaks

(GivenUs.com) – For better or worse, we live in an age of ‘round-the-clock work and 60-hour-plus work weeks. It often seems as if life is all one big rush — a rush to get to work, to make the meeting on time, to finish the project, or even just to get home again for a few hours of sleep. Some would call this normal, but it certainly doesn’t leave much time for nutritious meals.

Skipping lunch is especially common. But behavioral science author Dr. Kris believes those mealtime shortcuts don’t do us any favors.

So, what’s the fix? Don’t use your lunchtime for work. Tune out. Pour those precious minutes back into rejuvenating yourself. Feed your mind and body, otherwise you may be at risk for dangerous consequences like these.

Professional burnout. Running yourself ragged around the clock leads to burnout fast. This includes showing up to work sick, exhausted or hungry. Working yourself to the limit increases stress levels. This puts your mental health risk, increasing the odds of developing anxiety, depression and exhaustion. Use your lunch break to recharge yourself mentally. Take that time to rejuvenate your mind with laughter, calm and good nutrition.

Lowered mental acuity. Consider creating a break ritual. Tap into the things that bring you happiness, like meditation, reading, and walking. Avoid working through lunch and find a cheery place to escape for a few minutes. Lunch breaks are designed to fuel and sustain you personally and professionally.

Fluctuating blood sugar. Running on low fumes for the entire day will eventually take a toll on you physically. It can also make you cranky and unable to concentrate. Grabbing a candy bar mid morning for breakfast and snacking on chips late afternoon can cause glucose levels to rise and fall. In addition, eating and sleeping irregularly puts you at risk for weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

We all strive to meet deadlines and get things done. But when you’re running yourself ragged, you’re damaging your health in the process. You are no good to anyone if you’re sick!

Use small blocks of time, especially your lunch, to detach from work, and focus on your inner being. The result? A refreshing surprise to help you survive the busy workday!

~Here’s to Your Success!