Why You Should Always Take Your Full Lunch Break

When you're stuck in the same environment for hours at a stretch, you really need to take time out and recharge your batteries. Your lunch break is the ideal opportunity to do that each and every day. So many people choose to work through their lunch hour and eat 'al desko', but that's not the best option for your physical or mental health. Don't be shamed into working through your lunch break – you're entitled to it and you should take it.

Taking a proper lunch break can bring all sorts of benefits. If you take an hour to focus on yourself, you bring that same focus back to your work and will have higher levels of concentration. When you work through a lunch hour, you may think you're being more productive but that's often a delusion - you may in fact be slowing down with exhaustion.

Taking an hour out also means you're more likely to eat a healthier, more balanced lunch, rather than something quick and easy you can get down at your desk. It's best to either bring in your own lunch or choose something nutritious which you can eat in the canteen itself, to have a change of scene.

A lunch break is also a chance for a much needed screen break. Spending too long staring at a screen can have a negative impact on your mental health. Turn off the smartphone and focus on yourself for a while – take a walk, read a book, you could even nip out for a short massage! However you use the time, spend it on yourself and not on your work.