Too many of us have become almost martyrs for the sake of the job, and often times even boast about skipping lunch because we just did not have the time for it. In a recent national survey by the top rated Juice Bar, Smoothie King, 58% of Americans admitted that they could easily skip lunch if too busy. Lack of time and a demanding, on-the-go lifestyle are often cited as reasons for skipping lunch.

In the case of workers, there also appears to be pressure to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Yes there is always the occasion when a missed lunch is inevitable, but this should not be the norm. It's as if these days, having lunch has become poor work ethics. When did this happen?

Well if you are one of the many workers skipping lunch on a regular basis, I want to present you with several reasons why you should take back your lunch hour.

1. Taking lunch is a way of showing others that you value yourself enough to take a real break and 'recharge your batteries' so to speak. If you show others that you will go on and on like the 'energizer bunny', even if you're ready to drop, they may always be throwing things at you on your lunch hour. The fact is that you are not the 'energizer bunny'. You need to stop and refuel. So it is very important that you train others to respectfully honor your break time.

One suggestion is to politely tell them something like "I want to give my best to this assignment, but I just don't function when I don't eat. After I've had my lunch break, then I can give you 100%". It might also be helpful to put a sign on your door or outside your cubicle that states "At Lunch". It might take them a while, but most people will eventually get the idea and give you your space

2. Your lunch hour, makes up a modest part of your work day, even less if you only take a ½ hour lunch break. You have 7-71/2 hours of time to devote to work. If you are unable to show gratitude for the 7-71/2 hours of performance and function that your body gives to you, then it might not work at that capacity for very long. Taking a break is a way of telling your body "thank you" and giving it what it needs to work at its highest level.

3. Even if you may say, "Well I don't really feel hungry at lunch time", you may not feel hungry, but you must remember that lunchtime is not just about the food. It is about rewarding yourself and your body for hard work with a moment of sweet relaxation and leisure, people watching, reading a newspaper or magazine etc. Overall, it's about simply retreating from the confines of a cubicle or workspace for a little while to remind yourself that there is life going on out there!

4. You are no good to yourself or anyone else when you are overcharged and overspent. Stimulants like coffee, energy drinks, and sugary snacks might trick your brain into thinking that you are really the 'energizer bunny' for a while, but sooner or later it catches up with you. At some point your body will scream out to the mountains that it has had enough through stress-induced signals like health problems, fatigue and the like.

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