Lunch breaks. What are those, we hear you cry? You’re lucky if you manage a sandwich at your desk most days. You simply don’t have time to spare for such frivolous acts as eating. Don’t we understand how busy your days can be?
Sadly, we understand the rush of work which always comes your way all too well. But, we’ve got some bad news for you, because continually skipping your lunch breaks could lead you to getting burned out and having to take time off. Not to mention that some studies suggest going without a break during the working day could actually hinder productivity. While you think you’re doing yourself a favor by working through, then, you could well be letting yourself in for a world of lost or poor quality work down the line.
This isn’t a reality which any business owner wants to face. In fact, it’s the very thing which you’re trying to avoid by going without every working day. If you want to be the best manager possible, then, it’s vital that you get on top of lunch breaks. And, we’ve got some solutions which can help you manage just that.
Cut out the junk
First thing’s first – it’s time to cut out the junk. We aren’t talking about bringing salads for lunch instead of burgers (though that’s always a wise idea, too). Instead, we’re referring to the junk that you deal with during the working day. When you take the time to think about it, it’s astounding how long business owners have to spend each day sifting through junk emails and answering sales calls. You can certainly bet that there will be plenty of companies out there trying to sell you computer systems or new product materials. By simply cutting out the amount of time you have to spend dealing with things like this, you may find that you free up more than enough time to fit lunch in at last. Even better, getting a hold on this couldn’t be simpler. All you need to do is implement a reliable spam blocker on your email account, and turn to companies like Ivy Answering who can filter sales calls for you. Then, you’ll be able to spend your working day focusing on the jobs that matter, and actually taking some all-important time away from your desk!
Factor lunch onto your to-do list
Chances are that you’ve never even considered including a lunch break on your daily to-do list. You’re too busy focusing on the tasks which need doing. But, the fact is that this is a fatal mistake, and it could be to blame for your continued neglect towards this part of your day. Think about it; you won’t even try to make time for lunch if it doesn’t appear on that list. Instead, you’ll fill the gap with other tasks and keep on working straight through. By comparison, simply jotting down lunch on there somewhere ensures that you make the time you need to get around to it. Even better, this simple step can stop you from feeling quite as guilty about taking the time you need. That’s because you’ll still be able to tick an item off your list which gets you that bit closer to the end of the working day.
Correlate with your second in command
Even if you have the best intentions when it comes to lunch, your team may have other ideas. They don’t know when you’re planning to clock off, after all, and they may come to your office with a query just before you head out. As simple as that, you may give up on the idea of lunch altogether. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s no denying, of course, that your team always need a go-to should they stumble into issues or need a chat. But, that doesn’t mean you never deserve a lunch break. Make sure it no longer stops you by getting into the habit of correlating with your second-in-command. By making sure that they’re always around to take over when you head out, you can rest easy that the building won’t burn down in your absence. Letting your team know about this arrangement also ensures that they go straight to your second-in-command the moment your allocated lunch break arrives. That will make it far more difficult for you to procrastinate about finally focusing on giving yourself the lunch benefits which you provide for everyone else in the office.
