For many people who work from home, their lunch hour is full of possibilities. After all, modern employees today often have at least 30 minutes for a break and sometimes even one hour or longer depending on the job title and company.
During this period, some may feel that they are left with gaps of free time, especially those workers who meal plan or have simple lunches that do not require much cooking or prep work beforehand.
However, no matter the length of your break, this is a great time to take advantage of certain activities that you may not be able to do during scheduled work hours.
In this article, we outline five different ways to spend that coveted relaxation period from home.
1. Move Your Body
Moving around for even a few minutes on your break can help you feel recharged and ready to tackle the rest of the workday before you.
When you work from home, you cut out the commute from your daily routine. Especially for those whose journey to their job requires a short bike ride or walk, it’s important to keep up that daily movement even when not going to the office. After you’re finished eating, why not spend the rest of your lunch period practicing some at-home workout routines that are simple and straightforward, even without gym equipment?
If you’re not interested in a full-on exercise session, spread out a towel or mat and stretch your neck and back. This will help with your posture as well as ease your back into your office chair to continue your work in the afternoon.
Related: Stressed by Working From Home? 8 Things To Keep You Going All-day
2. Play Stimulating Mobile Games
Another way in which you can make the most of your time away from the desk is by relaxing somewhere comfortably and playing some entertaining mobile games that will allow you to disconnect. After all, there’s a reason why many modern workplaces today have game rooms built into their offices – games are fun and create an exciting and easy-going company culture and ambience.
Some great mobile games to play during a lunch break include Candy Crush, everyone’s favourite puzzle game, or Chess, the classic strategy board game. Another option is playing casino games that allow players to take part in all the thrills and spills of the casino floor without leaving the house. For example, roulette is relatively simple to grasp online and is ideal for a lunch break because it is played with quick spins that each only take a couple of minutes. So, whether it’s competing against a digital opponent in online chess or dropping bets on the virtual “Little Wheel,” these activities offer employees an opportunity to disconnect while staying entertained.
3. Remember Your TBR Pile
Reading a book you enjoy is one way to rest your eyes from reading that long string of work emails.
Reading is an activity that can be done as much or as little as you wish, so therefore it is the perfect thing to do during a lunch break. Maybe you have a few lingering moments after finishing your lunch and don’t know how to spend them – why not catch up on your favourite fictional characters or storyline? That “To Be Read” stack will just keep getting larger and larger if you don’t!
4. Take a Power Nap
Many studies and findings have shown that quality sleep is crucial for productivity and alertness. Whether working from home or going to the office, it’s important to get an adequate amount of rest the night before. To supplement your daily evening sleep, try taking a “power nap” of no more than 20 minutes after finishing lunch. These types of naps have also been proven to help revitalize the body rather than make it feel drowsier – perfect when you have an entire afternoon of work ahead!
5. Catch Up on Some Chores
Working from home means being surrounded by endless chores staring you in the face all day long. The dishes need to be done, the trash has to go out, the laundry is piling up, and on it goes. However, because your office is now your home, this means that during those breaks from work, you have the opportunity to catch up on those things.
Although this may be counteractive to taking a real “break,” some people find it enjoyable and de-stressing to check things off their ever-growing to-do list. If you are one of those people, this is an ideal way to spend a part of your lunch period.
