CONJURE an image of a soft drink can by the side, a burger in one hand and the other... ... ... . typing away rapidly on the keyboard! Welcome the new lunchtime companions - the desk and the computer! Doesn't the initial snigger end in a plaintive moan as the piteous situation strikes a chord?
Unfortunately, more and more employees are routinely succumbing to the `cubicle lunching' syndrome. In fact, a survey by the American Dietetic Association found that 75 percent of office workers eat lunch at their desks as often as two or three times a week.
In the face of piling workload, looming deadlines and uncertain job futures, lunch primarily becomes expendable. Loath to waste time over lunch (?), managers as well as staff try to proverbially kill two birds with one stone as they work while eating. While most do it of their own choice, some employees are forced to yield due to peer pressure and unwritten rules as `everyone is doing it'! Then, there is yet another breed of self-confessed `desk potatoes' who lunch at their desks while simultaneously surfing the internet, conducting online shopping or playing the ubiquitous Solitaire.
Well, skipping lunch or snacking at the desk occasionally is a necessary evil in order to beat a pressing deadline or catch up with pending work. But, here's what happens when you make a habit of it:
Mechanical ingestion: Enjoyment of the meal is totally lost as you answer phones, check e-mail or are wrapped up in thoughts of work. The hand perfunctorily moves the food to the mouth in the type-and-swallow routine without really tasting, let alone savouring, a single bite. Being disconnected from the eating process, not only does one tend to overeat, but also wolfing down food hurriedly without proper mastication leads to choking and indigestion.
Siren song of junk food: Desk diners increasingly opt for the convenience of take-away or fast food over nutritious home-cooked meals or salads. Such fat-laden snacks are unhealthy and sap energy making you feel sluggish and tired. In fact, the wrong foods combined with mindless eating is primarily responsible for protruding bellies and growing waistlines; 46 per cent people gain weight after starting their jobs.
The bacteria buffet: Even after you finish munching at your desk, the crumbs and droppings linger around making it unsanitary. The telephone and desktop are the most germ-infested desk elements followed by the keyboard and mouse. In fact, in a recent study, researchers tracked disease-causing bacteria and germs in the office and found that, there are 400 times more germs present at a workplace desk than other places in the office. To further the argument, you may opt to regularly clean the desk with disinfectant wipes, but what about the polluted indoor air of the office?
More harm than good: Even if you save time by multitasking work and lunch, it has been proved that people are not all that productive while they are eating and even less so in front of a computer screen. Neither will it project you as an industrious employee; employers actually wonder whether you are overworked or unable to cope. Reality sets in when it,s too late and burnout is just around the corner.
Breaking bread together
In direct contrast to the above scenario, stepping out for lunch will let you enjoy the much-needed sunshine and fresh air. The physical activity will boost spirits generating energy and enthusiasm. Communal eating also gives the opportunity to interact with colleagues, strengthen bonds and build networks outside the daily grind.
As such, even company management should discourage `lunch at desk' with explicit policies. They should provide authorised dining areas like on-site lunchrooms, canteens and cafes.
Its breather time!
Think twice before habitually sacrificing lunch at the stake of rising workload. If you have been slogging away non-stop since the morning, do you really need to work through lunch too? After all, there is no end to work and what's more, it will just expand to fill the time available.
Sorry to burst the bubble, but neither will the office fall apart if you `abandon' it for a while. So, instead of turning in an unpaid hour of work, give in to the hunger pangs and take the time to step out for lunch. Its not necessary to indulge in an extravagant 5-course meal (in fact it is soporific); but do treat yourself for half an hour at least. As you place work on the backburner and unwind, the relaxing meal will recharge your batteries and fuel you to get back to work with a vengeance.
What are you waiting for? Turn the machine and yourself off; go eat now!
Unfortunately, more and more employees are routinely succumbing to the `cubicle lunching' syndrome. In fact, a survey by the American Dietetic Association found that 75 percent of office workers eat lunch at their desks as often as two or three times a week.
In the face of piling workload, looming deadlines and uncertain job futures, lunch primarily becomes expendable. Loath to waste time over lunch (?), managers as well as staff try to proverbially kill two birds with one stone as they work while eating. While most do it of their own choice, some employees are forced to yield due to peer pressure and unwritten rules as `everyone is doing it'! Then, there is yet another breed of self-confessed `desk potatoes' who lunch at their desks while simultaneously surfing the internet, conducting online shopping or playing the ubiquitous Solitaire.
Well, skipping lunch or snacking at the desk occasionally is a necessary evil in order to beat a pressing deadline or catch up with pending work. But, here's what happens when you make a habit of it:
Mechanical ingestion: Enjoyment of the meal is totally lost as you answer phones, check e-mail or are wrapped up in thoughts of work. The hand perfunctorily moves the food to the mouth in the type-and-swallow routine without really tasting, let alone savouring, a single bite. Being disconnected from the eating process, not only does one tend to overeat, but also wolfing down food hurriedly without proper mastication leads to choking and indigestion.
Siren song of junk food: Desk diners increasingly opt for the convenience of take-away or fast food over nutritious home-cooked meals or salads. Such fat-laden snacks are unhealthy and sap energy making you feel sluggish and tired. In fact, the wrong foods combined with mindless eating is primarily responsible for protruding bellies and growing waistlines; 46 per cent people gain weight after starting their jobs.
The bacteria buffet: Even after you finish munching at your desk, the crumbs and droppings linger around making it unsanitary. The telephone and desktop are the most germ-infested desk elements followed by the keyboard and mouse. In fact, in a recent study, researchers tracked disease-causing bacteria and germs in the office and found that, there are 400 times more germs present at a workplace desk than other places in the office. To further the argument, you may opt to regularly clean the desk with disinfectant wipes, but what about the polluted indoor air of the office?
More harm than good: Even if you save time by multitasking work and lunch, it has been proved that people are not all that productive while they are eating and even less so in front of a computer screen. Neither will it project you as an industrious employee; employers actually wonder whether you are overworked or unable to cope. Reality sets in when it,s too late and burnout is just around the corner.
Breaking bread together
In direct contrast to the above scenario, stepping out for lunch will let you enjoy the much-needed sunshine and fresh air. The physical activity will boost spirits generating energy and enthusiasm. Communal eating also gives the opportunity to interact with colleagues, strengthen bonds and build networks outside the daily grind.
As such, even company management should discourage `lunch at desk' with explicit policies. They should provide authorised dining areas like on-site lunchrooms, canteens and cafes.
Its breather time!
Think twice before habitually sacrificing lunch at the stake of rising workload. If you have been slogging away non-stop since the morning, do you really need to work through lunch too? After all, there is no end to work and what's more, it will just expand to fill the time available.
Sorry to burst the bubble, but neither will the office fall apart if you `abandon' it for a while. So, instead of turning in an unpaid hour of work, give in to the hunger pangs and take the time to step out for lunch. Its not necessary to indulge in an extravagant 5-course meal (in fact it is soporific); but do treat yourself for half an hour at least. As you place work on the backburner and unwind, the relaxing meal will recharge your batteries and fuel you to get back to work with a vengeance.
What are you waiting for? Turn the machine and yourself off; go eat now!
PAYAL CHANANIA
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