Why you should avoid eating at your desk

We’ve all been there: a busy day a work with deadlines to meet means there is no time for a proper lunchbreak so you decide to eat as you work. Some days the weather seems unappealing, and your desk looks like a cosier option for lunch.

If facilities are too far away to reach in the time you get for lunch, staying put seems the best way to maximise the time you get for a break. Whatever the excuse, eating at your desk is actually not a good idea, for quite a few different reasons, and we don’t just mean crumbs.

Eating at your desk might sound like a time saver, but in truth it can actually lead to reduced productivity, as well as issues with your diet, so it is worth considering taking a different approach.

You are not alone in this, as research suggests that 43% of us claim to be too busy to take a break from our computers, which might be why it is estimated that we spend a massive 1,700 hours a year in front of them.

Productivity

Most of us get to work ready and raring to go, but as the day wears on, our productivity levels start to drop. This is one reason why a lunch break is so important; it gives us chance to recharge our batteries and regain our concentration. This is difficult to do if you do not leave your place of work and your productivity levels are likely to be affected for the rest of the day as they continue to decline.

Even if you have decided to turn your attention away from work and sit scrolling through social media, the temptation to answer a call or email, finish something off or cut your break short is often too great and you are never fully detached from your work.

It is generally thought that your productivity throughout the day will be greater by taking break than by working continuously, despite the amount of time in front of your computer, so walking away really does help.

Diet

Eating at your desk might seem like a great way to grab a quick bite, but it can actually lead to overeating. If you are distracted whilst eating, then you tend not to register what you are consuming, and it fails to fill you up in the same way.

That will inevitably lead to your tummy starting to rumble again later in the afternoon and you are likely to start reaching for the snacks. Those snacks can also be dangerous to your diet, as most people have a stash of chocolate, sweets or biscuits in their desk drawer.

Absently reaching for something every now and again means you are not thinking about how much you are eating during the day. This is coupled with the sugar high and crash that will work against your productivity as well.

If you're employer hasn't already provided the workspace with food alternatives such as fresh fruit or other healthier alternatives, it might be worth the time to enlighten your boss the benefits of certain foods and drink at work.

Obviously, staying at your desk means that you are not moving, which can also contribute to weight gain and poor health in the form of heart disease or diabetes. Getting up and moving around at lunchtime can help to get a few extra steps in and help keep everything working better.

Staying tied to your desk all day may make you feel like the perfect employee, but in reality, your refusal to take a break could be doing more harm than good. Even if you simply take a walk around the office, sit in the car or stroll to the end of the drive, moving away from your work space can give both your body and your mind the boost it needs to stay healthy, efficient and its very best.