THE POWER OF A LUNCH BREAK
In 2025, I’ve been really intentional about committing to a small but mighty action: taking a lunch break.
And yes, I mean an actual, honest-to-goodness, midday break: I stop working, step away from my computer and desk, go to my kitchen and make an actual meal, and sit outside by my pool while I enjoy it (if the weather allows). At minimum, I do this every day for 30 minutes, but I try for an hour.
This is big for me.
I’m embarrassed to tell you what my lunch “breaks” used to look like (but I will anyway): I used to race down to my kitchen during a 10-minute gap between meetings, quickly heat up leftovers or find a snack that could qualify as “lunch,” and take it right back to my desk, where I’d eat while continuing to work.
Sometimes, my plate would sit on my desk for the rest of the day, often with food still on it, because I never stopped working long enough to eat it. And then, of course, there were also the days when I’d get to 5 p.m. and realize that I hadn’t stepped away from my desk to get a snack or eat anything at all.
Does any of that sound familiar?
For so long, my way of being was to power through my days. If I had a break between meetings, I’d use it to catch up so that I’d have less work on my plate at the end of the day. I also knew that as the day went on, my energy would wane, and I wanted to capitalize on my ability to be productive while I still had it.
All legitimate reasons, I suppose. The problem was that not taking a break during the day wasn’t great for my mental or physical health. Now that I’m in an era where I’m prioritizing my well-being, I’m able to identify the habits that were hurting me . . . and not pausing to eat a proper lunch was only one of them.
You see, that mentality of pushing through showed up in many places in my life. I was also the person who sat on their couch at the end of the day answering emails instead of decompressing. On speaking trips, I worked on the flight, at the hotel, and immediately after my event, never taking a moment to pause. On vacations, I was the one working instead of being present with my family.
Not taking my lunch break was a small habit that was reflected in so many other areas of my life. I could never let myself just be.
But that’s not the person I am anymore.
I had to ask myself: How can I be a leader who tells my team to take care of themselves when I’m not even allowing myself to take a break for lunch?
It didn’t add up.
Now that I’m regularly taking a lunch break, I understand how powerful it can be. Stepping away from my work, changing my surroundings, fueling my body, and maybe even getting some fresh air is life-giving.
I come back from my breaks refreshed. I’m more effective and focused. I am more grounded. The things that stressed me out before lunch no longer cause me angst. It’s like a reset. It allows me to enter the next part of my day with a renewed commitment to the intentions I set at the beginning of the day, and it helps me recognize when I’m starting to feel overwhelmed.
And the benefits don’t end there: I’m noticing that the small act of taking a lunch break is helping me care for myself in other ways. For example, when I start to feel stressed—even if it’s nowhere near lunchtime—I walk away from my desk, even if it’s just for five minutes, and it helps me reset. I also have more energy in the evenings and on the weekends because I’m taking more breaks throughout the week.
It wasn’t easy for me to develop this new habit. Believe me: There have been many days when I’ve wanted to just grab a quick snack and continue to power through. There have even been a handful of times when I have done that, and I immediately noticed the consequences: I became more intense, on-edge, and transactional in how I showed up for others.
So now, when I hear that voice that tells me to keep working, I know how to tune it out. I think about who I want to be and what I want to model as a leader, and that is what gets me out of my chair.
Let’s talk about you: Do you struggle to take lunch breaks? If I were to look at your calendar, what would I see? A break that is scheduled and protected for you? Or meeting after meeting with 10 minutes in between, if you’re lucky?
The changes we make to care for ourselves don’t have to be huge. Sometimes the smallest shifts are the most powerful.
I’m curious: What is this post bringing up for you? What do you think about the power of a lunch break? Write to me and tell me what’s on your mind!
Big hugs,
