How do you spend your lunch hour?

[WhaleyAwesome]

Just that.

Ah, a lunch hour. If only.

@ssd Yes, I have signed a contract which includes a full paid hour of lunch break - and I am going to be maintaining my boundaries around that.

If you've chosen not to do that, that's up to you.

Mostly just eat at my desk and carry on working. Sometimes go gor a short walk

I get 30 mins. I eat at my desk as due to covid we cannot use any big rooms to gather with others. I naturally eat quite slowly so don’t really have time to go anywhere and then eat so just eat clear up n back to work x

@WhaleyAwesome Our company once tried to stop everyone eating at their desks but it didn't last long, the habit was ingrained from our old office when we didn't have anywhere else to sit. Most of us do eat at our desks and nobody pays attention. Re-heated fish or anything else offensively smelly is the only time eyebrows are raised.

The only team who routinely leave their desks to eat are customer services who have phones ringing all around them so it's nicer to retreat to a quiet space.

@GlinnerForPM

If you get an hour for lunch you should use it to eat. On the other hand, do colleagues who smoke use their full lunch hour plus extra time for smoking?

This has come up in our office but it was ultimately decided there's too many variables to have hard and fast rules. I have a cigarette in the morning and one in the afternoon. I make one coffee for myself, usually before I actually start work. Others in the office have a coffee hourly, so the equivalent time I spend smoking is stood standing by the kettle, for them.

Another colleague smokes hourly but always comes in 30 minutes early to make a start on overnight admin. Other people may need to take short personal phone calls regularly if they have kids, someone they care for or ongoing medical treatment or legal issues etc. Without exception we all work more than contracted as and when required. It's all swings and roundabouts and averages out. There's an understanding and trust that we don't take the piss, but that probably only works because we're a small friendly team.

I agree with the OP above, there's no point being snidey about other people having a whole hour when for many roles that is what is contracted and not being able to take that amount of time is a deeper issue.

A lunch hour? What is this concept?

Also a nurse. We are pretty good at taking our lunch break. Sometimes get a tea break later on if not to busy.

I get an hour, when I was in the office if the weather was nice I’d sometimes go for a run, eat my lunch outside, meet work friends for lunch, dash to the shops if I needed something.

Now I’m mostly at home I walk the dog, potter in the garden, put some washing on, sometimes nip to a shop/post office/library depending on what needs doing.

I am supposed to take an hour but I never do. I would rather just end my work day earlier.

I really like the idea of being away from my desk, but then also eating at my desk whilst doing admin / emails...

I'm not sure how well that would go down though.

For those of you that run, do you shower before you return to your desk? I am not sure if the new place will have showers but I need to ask for cycling - I tend not to get sweaty but there are definitely days when I need to warm up during the winter.

Going to see if there's a local gym nearby - that would be awesome if so.

I tend to walk for 30-40 mins, then if I have time usually load the dishwasher, or swap the washing over depending on what needs doing, then eat lunch. If there's no time to eat I will eat something whilst working, I prioritise getting out for a quick walk above all else.

WFH. I walk the dog for an hour in the local park

I used to get an hour and ten minutes at one school I was teaching in.

It was amazing: 40mins of sorting out the previous lesson/setting up for the next/marking/dealing with any issues. And then there was STILL a glorious 30minutes of laughing in the staffroom and actually getting to eat and drink. Lovely.

We did finish later than other schools though.

I’m on flexi but usually take an hour. Wfh - 30-35mins workout, quick wipe down/spray with deodorant, eat in the garden if sunny, on the sofa staring at phone if not. Never put the tv or Netflix on, or lunch becomes 2 hours

I get an hour, would rather have less but this means I have to work 6 days a week some weeks.
Sometimes I meet dh and we sit on a bench and eat lunch together. Other times I go for a brief walk into town. Sometimes I sit at my desk and eat my lunch maybe going on mumsnet or playing a game, reading a book xxxxx

If in the office, I surf the web with a sandwich, and continue to take calls and answer emails. If WFH I take fewer breaks so am more inclined to take an hour - I'll make something a little nicer than a nutty, and take a 10-15min walk round the block. If I'm on-call I don't always get a break, which I hate.

I officially get 15 minutes, so just eat/loo.

When I had a job that gave me an hour, some days I would take it and go for a walk/run. Most days I ate at my desk, if it was busy then I'd stay, if it wasn't I'd bugger off.
Occasionally I'd eat in my car to get a break.

I absolutely insist on taking my full hour at lunch - probably because I do have to go home for the dogs so it isn't negotiable. Preparation is the key to make the most of it. I've got 45 minutes in the house : Sandwiche and dog lick mats prepared the night before.

5 mins : Go home get sandwich out of fridge and get dog lick mats out fridge to come slightly to room temperature. Get tea/coffee cup ready, put soup on hob.
15 mins
Let dogs out for a pee, make sure they do something then chuck the ball about for a few minutes.
Do some dog brain train - sit/stay/find etc.
20 mins
Make tea/coffee and eat sandwich. Dogs are given their lick mats.
Cat nap, read a couple of chapters of book or to hang out/bring in washing.

5 mins Freshen up and back to work.

30 minutes - I snooze

@FizzyPink

I’ve got far too used to eating my lunch and then setting an alarm and napping for the remaining 45 minutes. Must try harder to do something more productive.

Napping is very good for you. You are lowering your risk of a number of life threatening diseases, plus there is evidence that improves productivity in the afternoon. So it sounds like you are actually making very good use of your much break. Crack on.

I get 30-45 minutes,Recently sit in garden with DH, in November lockdown I made sure I went for a 30 minute walk. I tend to run before work, start at 8 and shower around 9:30.

[quote WhaleyAwesome]@ssd Yes, I have signed a contract which includes a full paid hour of lunch break - and I am going to be maintaining my boundaries around that.

If you've chosen not to do that, that's up to you.[/quote]
Wow ok. Or perhaps some people don't have that option?

Why so rude?

@Flatdisco so the point of this thread - as in the title of the thread "How do you spend your lunch hour was to get ideas on exactly that.

Not have snidey / snarkey comment from people who have taken jobs where that isn't the answer.

It's pretty clear, I am asking about an hour's break from the title, and look, I even clarified when the snidey comments started with the sentence "Yes, an hour - as per the title of the thread".

I'm really lucky to work on the loveliest business park so when the weathers nice I'll find a bench or a grassy spot on a bank and sit and watch the geese/fish etc in the pond while I eat and then have a wander around.

Sometimes I just need some me-time so will go and sit in my car and listen to some music. Sometimes I'll go out and run an errand, say if we need some bits at home from the supermarket for example.

I strongly recommend making full use of the hour - I notice the difference on the days when I work through.