It’s a wonderful fall day outside...the sun is shining…not a cloud in the sky and 80 degrees! You simply can't wait for lunch hour to get in your car, roll the windows down as far as they’ll go and get your favorite cruising music playing. Let lunch begin!!!! You’re off to your favorite restaurant… for your favorite lunch combo. On this particular day however, traffic is moving slow and the route you’re taking is more congested than normal. You look at your clock; knowing you only have an hour and you’re already 10 minutes into that hour. You begin to feel yourself getting frustrated and tense and you just can’t seem to move fast enough through the traffic. You begin to think...the last thing I need to do today is sit in this traffic. After all, isn’t lunch supposed to be a relaxing and enjoyable break from the workday?
Your lunch break is a wonderful opportunity for you to try out some different things that may actually have you going back to work more relaxed and refreshed. Keep variety in your lunch break. Enjoy the outdoors by actually “being” outside, especially on days when the weather is nice!
Try sprinkling a little “sustainable” mix into your lunch break with these ideas:
Try packing your own lunch instead of eating out. It will be healthier, less expensive, and it will save on gas (you won't be driving around town looking for that restaurant). Find a nice spot on campus and sit outside and eat your lunch. Listen to your favorite music on your MP3 player or IPOD, or read your favorite magazine or book. Remember…the idea during lunch is to “check-out” and relax! Not to create more stress.
On nice weather days, commit to getting a little bit of exercise while on your lunch break. Find a route and walk the campus. Better yet, get a group of co-workers together and make it a joint effort! Reward yourselves afterwards by eating lunch together and sharing the company. The small amount of exercise that you did before eating will make your food taste better, be more satisfying, and you will have more energy when you return back to work.
Visit the library during lunch as an alternative to sitting at your desk and reading on your computer. Take a break from your computer! Save a little energy by shutting it off and go check out the campus library. You might just find a book or magazine that you enjoy reading. The library is a “quiet” spot to sit and read, and most importantly, relax and unwind!
If you're feeling really adventurous on a nice day, take some time during lunch to "explore" the campus. Walk around and observe. What kinds of trees, flowers and plants, birds and critters can you find? Start a list and share your findings and observations with others.
Make going out in town for lunch more meaningful and less expensive by simply doing it less and making it more of a "special occasion". Save your favorite restaurant outing or shopping trip for a particular day during the week…maybe a Friday. This will make the trip more of a "reward" and help you to enjoy the outing more.
Claudine LaBrake is the Sustainability/Business & Industry Coordinator in the Department of Continuing Education at Wilson Community College. LaBrake is a UNC-Wilmington graduate with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a Minor in Chemistry. She is also a former Environmental, Health and Safety Manager with 10 years of experience in Industry and Manufacturing.
