I read an article in the New York Times recently that said that 62 percent of professionals ate lunch at their desks. A Washington Post article said that fewer than 20 percent of workers regularly left the office for lunch. As a former manager I probably ate more at my desk than outside of the office during my time on-site. I usually did this because I was always busy. Always. Busy. So I used my lunch time to get caught up on all of the things that would seem to pile up on me during the day.
I’ll admit, it made me feel productive. Plus, if I’m honest, I often felt that if my employees (or my boss) saw me eating at my desk that I would look more productive. (I once worked for a boss (not in the multifamily housing industry) that encouraged us to cut our lunches short and applied pressure on us to be at our desks during our “breaks” as well as stay in the office after our work shift was done.)
But, did eating at my desk, or skipping lunch outright to work on my tasks, make me more productive?
Studies tell us that the answer is probably “no!”
You know the Snickers commercial that said, “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” There is truth to this! I mean, how do you get when you’re hungry? Do you get HANGRY?? I do!
What am I saying?
It’s vital that you take regular breaks during the workday. The Washington Post says, “In fact, according to data collected using the time-tracking and productivity app DeskTime, the most productive 10 percent of its users were those who took regular breaks that lasted about 17 minutes each.”
If you want to be more productive take your lunch!
If you want to be more efficient…take a break!
You know that lagging feeling you get around 2pm? That’s a real thing! So, even if you have to take a late lunch you can get an energy boost to help you get through the rest of your work day-or you can even try to sneak in a 15-20 minute cat nap. Where? Well, that’s up to you!
What kind of breaks?
If you haven’t already figured it out, the first break you should take is your lunch break! Yes, multifamily is a hectic industry, but you can take your lunch break and be sure to take it away from your desk and the office.
Then during the day take small periodic breaks. It can be as simple as getting from your desk to grab a cup of coffee, or getting outside for a bit to enjoy a little sunshine. If you need to be “productive” then walk a section of your community to ensure the curb appeal is what it needs to be, while getting a little fresh air. That’s what I call a “win-win!”
The multifamily housing career can be stressful-believe me, I know! And I know you know it too. So help yourself be the best you can be, for your residents, for your co-workers and for you-by taking a break!
