The following article about stepping away from your work to eat your
lunch is intended to stir your thoughts. Hopefully you will be moved enough to
leave your comments following the article.

I will be the first to admit that I am guilty of the bad habit of eating
lunch at my desk. I bring my lunch to work everyday and it is easier to sit at
my desk and get a little bit of work done than it is to trek down to the
cafeteria. Eating lunch (or any meal, for that matter) at your desk is not a healthy habit.
According to the American Dietetic
Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation, some 70% of Americans eat lunch at
their desks several times a week. One of the biggest problems with doing so is
that it leads to mindless eating. When we eat at our desk we are usually
distracted by emails, phone calls, or projects and do not pay attention to what
we are putting in our mouths. This can lead to overeating.
To make matters
worse, our desks are breeding grounds for bacteria. “The desk, in terms of
bacteria, is 400 times dirtier than your toilet seat,” says Charles Gerba, PhD,
a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona in
Tucson. This is because we rarely take the time to clean our areas with
disinfectant. To see just how dirty your desk is, try shaking your keyboard
upside down and notice how much falls out of it.
Staying put at your desk
also prevents you from getting up and taking a break. By leaving our work
behind, for at least a little bit of time throughout the day, we get our creative juices flowing and free
ourselves from ruts we may be in. We will return to our work feeling refreshed
and hopefully with some new ideas.
There are simple tips to follow if you
find that you have no other choice but to eat at your desk. Invite a colleague
over to eat with you. By doing so, you will be more focused on your food and
more aware of how much you are eating. Find other time throughout the day to get
up and walk around, even if you stay in the building. Take time daily or weekly
to wipe down your phone, mouse, keyboard, and desk with a disinfectant wipe.

Most people find it hard to break out of routines or habits. Try starting
small by planning a day this week when you will eat lunch away from your desk.
Once you see how much you enjoy it, it will be easier to continue.

About the Author:

Rachel Lukasavige is a Health Coach at Lukas Coaching. Visit www.lukascoaching.com/resources.htm for a ton of free tools to
help you improve your health, finances, business, career & life!
www.lukascoaching.com
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and articles, visit www.lukascoaching.com/articles.htm

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