7 Little Ways to Have a Better Weekday Lunch
When I transitioned to working from an office to mostly working at home, I thought my weekday lunches would instantly improve — I’d be able to make something nice out of my own kitchen every day, right? Not quite. Regardless of the environment you work in, lunch is a challenge. There are far too many things vying for your attention at noon Monday through Friday, which makes enjoying the midday meal not exactly easy. Luckily, if you incorporate just few simple things into your daily routine, you’ll automatically make lunch better for yourself. Here are seven little things you can do every day.
1. Step away from your desk.
The biggest one might just be the most obvious, but it always needs repeating: Get away from your desk! Changing your location when you eat lunch automatically improves it. (If you work from home, that doesn’t just mean standing over the sink with your sandwich.) Take your lunch to the park, your office cafeteria, or simply sit down at the kitchen table. Fleeing your desk instantly puts the importance on enjoying your lunch, rather than responding to emails.
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2. Grab a real napkin.
Don’t be tempted to just rip of a sheet of paper towel from the roll. Instead, pull out a cloth napkin for lunch — there’s no need to wait for Saturday’s dinner party. Doing so makes lunch feel like a real meal instead of a pit stop for fuel.
3. And ditch the plastic utensils.
The same rule applies to utensils. Sure, plastic forks and knives are convenient, especially if you’ve brought your lunch to the office, but eating a salad with both is kind of torturous — you’ll end up just continually stabbing it rather than actually transferring it your mouth. Leave a set of real utensils in your office desk and never look back.
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4. Pull out your favorite bowl or plate.
Your lunch break should be a little moment all for you. So serve yourself out of your most favorite bowl or plate to make it feel a little more special. If that means keeping that prized possession tucked away in your office desk, so be it. Then transfer your lunch from its storage container and enjoy.
5. Reach for a little flaky sea salt or good olive oil.
If you packed your lunch hours ago or are reaching for leftovers, it’s probably not in its best state. I firmly believe two things can improve this: flaky sea salt and
good olive oil
6. Try to put down your phone.
While lunch seems like a good time to catch up on your Instagram feed, really do try to pry yourself away from your phone. You’ve likely had plenty of screen time all morning in front of your computer and that will continue through the afternoon. Use lunch as an opportunity to give your eyes a break. Instead, crack open that book you’re behind on or simply enjoy focusing on the meal in front of you. If you’re having lunch with friends, then ditching the phone is even more important.
7. Take a post-lunch walk.
Stretch your legs a little before sitting back down at your desk. Even if you can only spare 10 minutes, uses those 10 minutes to walk around the block or even around the office if the weather isn’t cooperating. It’s the perfect way to really cap off your lunch and leave you feeling refreshed for the afternoon ahead.
What are some little things you do to have a better weekday lunch?