What\'s lunch break for?
 

For my day job I'm a purchasing coordinator, a desk job. I've been at this company 8 years. Over the past 8 years I've had several friends come and go. I'd go out to lunch with one or more of these friends pretty much on a daily basis. My last good friend just left for another job last Friday.

I am in purchasing, so I do get offers from vendors for lunch meetings, which I do go on once or twice a week; however, the majority of the time I will be sans friends. I'm looking at this as an opportunity to improve myself in some way.

My question to you, OOT, is how do you spend your lunch hour? Suggestions?

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

Wait...you get a break for lunch?

-ZEN

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

Gym.

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Gym.

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Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

obv midday sexy time

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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Wait...you get a break for lunch?

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Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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Gym.

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My gym is 40 miles away near my house, otherwise a good idea. Anyone walk?

For those that don't 'get' a lunch break... my boss doesn't take one, but that's his fault, not mine. However, if you leave earlier because you don't, more power to you. I have my core hours, so this wouldn't help me. Also, I typically stay later than required hours, and I'd go nuts if I couldn't get out of the building for a bit.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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My question to you, OOT, is how do you spend your lunch hour?

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I eat lunch.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

on days when i don't go out for lunch i usually read, take a nap, run errands etc...

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

working through lunch is pretty standard for lots of people I would imagine.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

I thought this went without saying, but... masturbate furiously in the vacant offices of your coworkers.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

One of my superiors used to take long lunchbreaks, claiming he was going to the gym (which irked a lot of coworkers). It turns out he was instead banging his mistress behind his wife's back.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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working through lunch is pretty standard for lots of people I would imagine.

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I would imagine that too. I'd ask those people why? Sure, I'd guess a small percentage love their jobs and don't want to leave them for a second, but the majority don't. To impress the boss? It's possible, if that's what impresses your boss. To get ahead/stay ahead/keep from falling behind? Possible, but a poor way to live, IMO.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

Darren,

If your schedule dictates that you work until a certain time and your schedule allows for a lunch, then I totally agree that you should take it, if for no other reason than to decompress.

The gym isn't nearby for you, so latch onto a book or something. I remember ten years ago back in my fixed schedule days I read Infinite Jest every day at lunch and it was an awesome break from the tedium of my job. Aside from this I'm not sure how many other serious answers there could be.

I remember one of the women I worked with would sit in the break room and just stare straight ahead. That was her lunch. No reading, no doing anything constructive or enjoyable, just stare. At the time it annoyed the hell out of me for some reason, but in retrospect if it gave her a chance to zone out and clear her mind then I suppose it wasn't a bad idea.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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One of my superiors used to take long lunchbreaks, claiming he was going to the gym (which irked a lot of coworkers). It turns out he was instead banging his mistress behind his wife's back.

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LoL, as soon as I got to the word "claiming", I absolutely knew how the post would end.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

If I don't eat lunch on my lunch I'm usually taking a nap on the couch or in my car. Sometimes I sit and watch TV, basically anything to get my mind off work for a little while is good.

Taking a walk is nice, but not very easy to do without rain gear this time of year in Seattle. I don't often do this as my work allows anyone to take a "buddy walk" where you can leave for up to 30 mins any time during the day for a walk. Why waste my lunch when I can just take another paid break for a walk?

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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If I don't eat lunch on my lunch I'm usually taking a nap on the couch or in my car. Sometimes I sit and watch TV, basically anything to get my mind off work for a little while is good.

Taking a walk is nice, but not very easy to do without rain gear this time of year in Seattle. I don't often do this as my work allows anyone to take a "buddy walk" where you can leave for up to 30 mins any time during the day for a walk. Why waste my lunch when I can just take another paid break for a walk?

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Nice. Technically, our lunch break is 30 minutes, and two other 15 minute breaks are allowed throughout the day (I believe these are required by law?) Most people take it as a 1 hour lunch break.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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If I don't eat lunch on my lunch I'm usually taking a nap on the couch or in my car. Sometimes I sit and watch TV, basically anything to get my mind off work for a little while is good.

Taking a walk is nice, but not very easy to do without rain gear this time of year in Seattle. I don't often do this as my work allows anyone to take a "buddy walk" where you can leave for up to 30 mins any time during the day for a walk. Why waste my lunch when I can just take another paid break for a walk?

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Nice. Technically, our lunch break is 30 minutes, and two other 15 minute breaks are allowed throughout the day (I believe these are required by law?) Most people take it as a 1 hour lunch break.

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Yeah, that's pretty standard. I take an hour unpaid lunch and 2 paid 15 min breaks whenever I want to during the day. I can also sign a piece of paper and get another paid 30 min break to go on a walk. It's strange I agree, but I like it in the summer.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

A mid day 15 minute nap has shown to improve productivity for the rest of the day.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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A mid day 15 minute nap has shown to improve productivity for the rest of the day.

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But how do you wake back up?

OP, I eat lunch and watch Sportscenter.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

tuq,

[censored] you for recommending Infinite Jest in a previous thread and me actually going and getting it. I plan on eventually finishing for no other reason than I can then recommend it and people will be in awe of me being so smart as to like such a book.

each page is like a mental workout.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

Noah,

How far along are you?

I actually came away from that book feeling pretty dumb because I didn't understand most of the big words. But it was a helluva story.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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A mid day 15 minute nap has shown to improve productivity for the rest of the day.

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But how do you wake back up?



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Level?

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

stealing staples and pens.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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A mid day 15 minute nap has shown to improve productivity for the rest of the day.

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But how do you wake back up?



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Level?

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Not at all. I sleep pretty soundly, so when I fall asleep I'm not waking up for a while.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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A mid day 15 minute nap has shown to improve productivity for the rest of the day.

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But how do you wake back up?



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Level?

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Not at all. I sleep pretty soundly, so when I fall asleep I'm not waking up for a while.

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Most cell phones have alarms on them now days...

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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A mid day 15 minute nap has shown to improve productivity for the rest of the day.

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But how do you wake back up?



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Level?

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Not at all. I sleep pretty soundly, so when I fall asleep I'm not waking up for a while.

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It would require getting into the habit of falling asleep instantly and waking up easily 15 minutes later. Most people I know struggle terribly to fall asleep, so I doubt they could ever manage a 15 minute nap.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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I would imagine that too. I'd ask those people why? Sure, I'd guess a small percentage love their jobs and don't want to leave them for a second

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I would guess about 0%. I "love my job", so to speak, but I sure as hell can stop doing it every now and then.

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but the majority don't. To impress the boss?

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Unless you work in a bank of cubicles with your boss, it won't impress your boss because he/she won't even know. Also, if your boss takes lunch break they won't know whether you're there or not.

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To get ahead/stay ahead/keep from falling behind? Possible, but a poor way to live

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I think you're closer to mark here. For the record, I think a poorer way to live is always being behind schedule, eventually having to stay late or come in on weekends to make deadlines.

For me, I usually take a short break to eat at my desk. The sooner I go back to work, the sooner I can go home or post on 2+2 for the whole afternoon.

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

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Most cell phones have alarms on them now days...

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Exactly. When I'm able to pull it off I try to grab a 15 minute afternoon nap. If I happen to be home (right around the corner from here) and have the time I'll try for 45 minutes, but that's pretty greedy. How the crowd who says they have trouble falling asleep gets through the mid-afternoon lulls I have no idea.

A better question for those with jobs who say they take naps is: how exactly are they doing this? Hiding somewhere? An office they can shut and lock and be out of sight?

Re: What\'s lunch break for?
 

i usually do any necessary errands during my lunch break. it helps to live 2 miles from work.