Eat at your Desktop or Meet Friends for Lunch?

A Luncheon Together Can Boost Employee Performance

Office might be your second home but indeed it’s got its share of restrictions and rules. We’ve been given our tiny own cubicles at workplace and introducing liveliness into this place entirely depends on our taste and efforts. Some individuals’ cubicles are like a whiff of fresh air which makes your feel peppier, eager to work more and lifts your spirits whereas some other workstations are mundane. In between all the important discussions, meetings and personal work comes the inconspicuous lunchtime hours which are not even listed in some employees’ itinerary. Either they grab a bite on their way back home or munch down something sitting in their desk working away. But how good is it on your health and above all, how hygienic is it?

The Relentless Worker
Though we keep insisting that smart work is better than hard work the number of hours you sit at office and make people aware of your presence do count in few work settings. Individuals are also of the concept that a person sitting at his/her desk without breaks (or eating at his/her desk) and working diligently is a hard-working person who definitely needs a praise! But there is nothing good about eating snacks or meals at the desk. It’s not only bad for your health but can also be annoying for other employees. The second part is very much true. For instance, let’s say that it’s around 12 pm or so and you open a box of garlic rice which sends out an aroma instantly to all other people in the room. Already some of the guys have started feeling hungry but keep working anyways to wait until official lunchtime. While you might apologize for eating at your desk its necessary to remember that all others are immediately disturbed. If you feel the need to eat at your desk, do it inconspicuously. Its advisable to take a small break at least every two hours to flex the body, take a short walk during lunch and be energetic. Abstaining from taking a lunch break limits even the little exercise that we could get from walking to the cafeteria for lunch.

Even if your office permits you to eat at your desk others might find the aroma of strong foods such as garlic, chilli, onion and radish to be disturbing. While you have the right to eat any food of your choice it is also necessary to remember you have no rights to disturb others. Go easy on the spices and keep everyone happy at your office. Despite all these, if you still insist on eating at your desk at least avoid getting yourself attacked by foodborne illnesses with the tips given below:

1. Hand sanitizer
2. Food thermometer to reheat leftovers to the recommended 165°F. Read more about using a food thermometer to cook dishes to their recommended temperatures and the ill effects that might occur otherwise from the website www.firsteatright.com.
3. Wipes, paper towels and spray cleaners
4. Insulated lunch bag with freezer packs in the absence of a refrigerator

Workplace Safety
Some of the tips given here can help you ward off bacteria and germs from laying their hands on your food:

1. Even if you are busy working on the keyboard take some time to wash your hands before and after eating food at your desk. If you are unable to go to the restroom to wash hands save yourself with moist towelettes or hand sanitizers.
2. Never let perishables stay in outside temperature for more than two hours from the time you prepared the food. Put it in the refrigerator as soon as possible.
3. If you have bought leftovers for lunch take time to reheat it to 165°F.
4. Carrying lunch in a reusable or insulate bag? Don’t forget to wash it frequently

Don't be Too Generous to Feed Germs & Bacteria Too

​Lunch Break Can Make a Great Difference to Your Work Routine
Your lunchbreak can have a psychological effect on the mind affecting your thinking and emotional state. This is the result of a research study done on 32 female participants of whom half of them ate alone at office and another half went out for a leisure meal together. At office, the participants ate their meal in a short span of time in the absence of any company but at the restaurant the participants took time to select and eat the meal along with others. Those who went out also had to walk back a short distance to reach office. After their meal, the participants were measured their sematic memory, cognitive control and error processing and processing of facial expressions. Those who ate outside reported feeling much relaxed and displayed improved facial processing which improves their creativity and connectivity to others.
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Many officers and managers might see a prolonged lunch break as a potential threat to productivity, but it can help the employee work better, stress little and improve output. Your lunch can actually determine the course of events that might happen during the rest of day. Going off for a relaxing lunch break with your colleagues can improve bonding with them. A strong relationship at work gives you happiness, a soul to rely upon during tough times and someone who can give you suggestions. All these in turn improve your job performance, work satisfaction and mental health.

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