19 Jan Get back to nature

Where do you eat your lunch?

At your desk? During a meeting? In the staff room? In the food court? We all know we should give ourselves a time out to for lunch and have a break, but sometimes our schedules don’t allow for it. Or we stay on our emails or social media when we do get away from our desk. We mindlessly eat our food and get on with work because we have to – we’ve got lots to do.

Where do I eat my lunch?

We have a park outside our building. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s got benches and shade. Once you’ve navigated through the birds and found a spare seat (this is Sydney after all), it’s gorgeous.! I don’t take my phone with me. I just sit.

Some of my best ideas have happened when I sit outside and take time out.

Why? Two reasons. Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan and Kaplan) and the light-bulb moment. Have you ever had a problem that you can’t solve, and as soon as you step away (usually for a walk or coffee, after having stormed out of the room throwing papers around) the idea comes to you out of nowhere? That’s psychology for you. Going for a walk through nature is even better – Kaplan and Kaplan show that our cognitive resources are recharged when we are in natural environments. Which makes sense – we have evolved in nature and are therefore more comfortable in a park than in a cubicle.

Everything we see, feel, hear and do influences how effective we are and how much energy we have to put into our work. If you think you’re doing yourself a favour by eating at your desk, think again. Get outside, work on your tan and enjoy the chance to check out. It will do you the world of good. And you might even solve a few problems along the way.

Amelia
@AJP_Psych