SUMMARY POINTS
You’ve had one of those crazy-ass mornings where the moment you sat down at your desk, it was nothing but chaos. You know this all too well. And, it fucking happens way more than it should.
Your already full inbox is now topped up with even more urgent emails from your multiple bosses and coworkers needing asap responses. You’re overwhelmed as fuck but have no other choice than to dive in a get shit done.
You squeeze in a ton of grunt work in the gaps between all your meetings and calls. The only time you get any kind of breather is when you do your toilet meditations.
Your entire morning is spent running around, chasing down requests, knocking out urgent tasks, answering emails/calls and working your computer way past the rev limiter.
By the time lunch hour comes around, you’re totally exhausted and spent. You’re only halfway through the day and yet your energy tank is nearly empty. At this pace, you won’t make it through the day.
It’s days like this where you have to step away from the chaos and give yourself a mental break from all of the office madness. It’s the only way to get through a rough day.
It’s time to unplug and recharge.
Your already full inbox is now topped up with even more urgent emails from your multiple bosses and coworkers needing asap responses. You’re overwhelmed as fuck but have no other choice than to dive in a get shit done.
You squeeze in a ton of grunt work in the gaps between all your meetings and calls. The only time you get any kind of breather is when you do your toilet meditations.
Your entire morning is spent running around, chasing down requests, knocking out urgent tasks, answering emails/calls and working your computer way past the rev limiter.
By the time lunch hour comes around, you’re totally exhausted and spent. You’re only halfway through the day and yet your energy tank is nearly empty. At this pace, you won’t make it through the day.
It’s days like this where you have to step away from the chaos and give yourself a mental break from all of the office madness. It’s the only way to get through a rough day.
It’s time to unplug and recharge.
Why It’s Important To Take An Unplugged Break At Work
In today’s modern life, we’re surrounded by technology everywhere and all the time. There’s no getting away from the digital world unless you make a conscious effort to do so.
When we have some free moments or downtime at work, or anywhere else for that matter, what’s the first thing we reach for?
The smartphone.
It’s digital crack. We can’t get enough of it. It’s beyond the convenience factor and is now more of a “can’t live without it” thing than a “nice to have” thing in our lives. But, you gotta reduce your addiction to it by doing a digital detox.
It doesn’t have to be some complex process either. Check out this 2.5 minute video clip of the benefits of a digital detox.
VIDEO: Benefits of a digital detox
YOUTUBE: Newsy
LENGTH: 02:34
When we have some free moments or downtime at work, or anywhere else for that matter, what’s the first thing we reach for?
The smartphone.
It’s digital crack. We can’t get enough of it. It’s beyond the convenience factor and is now more of a “can’t live without it” thing than a “nice to have” thing in our lives. But, you gotta reduce your addiction to it by doing a digital detox.
It doesn’t have to be some complex process either. Check out this 2.5 minute video clip of the benefits of a digital detox.
VIDEO: Benefits of a digital detox
YOUTUBE: Newsy
LENGTH: 02:34
Summary points:
We’ve all become addicted to the screens in our lives. We never give our eyes a break from all the digital eye strain. And, while smartphones are supremely useful and entertaining, they shouldn’t be the sole source of our mental breaks.
We all have to unplug from the work matrix and physically get away from technology for a bit every single day. This is non-negotiable, folks.
This study from Texas Tech shows that being constantly connected starts to have detrimental effects. However, when people start to consciously unplug, their individual well-being and relationships improve.
More specifically related to work, when you step away from all the digital distractions during your lunch break, you can really turn up the positive effects of open thought and mental relaxation. It allows your mind to flow more freely instead of being digitally directed.
In other words, you’ll experience more of those “Aha shower moments” that will spark new ideas, open creative solutions to hard problems and trigger deep memory recalls.
Furthermore, unplugging and going fully analog during your lunch hour really helps to lower your stress levels, dial down the mental pressures and improve happiness.
We all have to unplug from the work matrix and physically get away from technology for a bit every single day. This is non-negotiable, folks.
This study from Texas Tech shows that being constantly connected starts to have detrimental effects. However, when people start to consciously unplug, their individual well-being and relationships improve.
More specifically related to work, when you step away from all the digital distractions during your lunch break, you can really turn up the positive effects of open thought and mental relaxation. It allows your mind to flow more freely instead of being digitally directed.
In other words, you’ll experience more of those “Aha shower moments” that will spark new ideas, open creative solutions to hard problems and trigger deep memory recalls.
Furthermore, unplugging and going fully analog during your lunch hour really helps to lower your stress levels, dial down the mental pressures and improve happiness.
5 Simple Ways To Unplug From The Work Matrix During Lunch

When work is non-stop busy and there are urgent and critical things that need to get done, you’ll often work through lunch to stay on top of your work. Sometimes, it’s unavoidable. However, there are real dangers to working through lunch that you may not realize.
When you don’t give yourself a mental break, you’re piling on more and more stress. And this stress triggers excessive amounts of cortisol in your body. This leads to all sorts of physiological issues including high blood pressure, increased heart rate, fatigue, headaches, intestinal problems, weight gain, etc.
The bottom line is that you gotta give yourself a break during the day and more specifically, an unplugged break away from the digital world.
You’ve gotta manage work stress daily so that you don’t burn yourself out.
Here are five simple and easy ways to disconnect yourself during lunch.
When you don’t give yourself a mental break, you’re piling on more and more stress. And this stress triggers excessive amounts of cortisol in your body. This leads to all sorts of physiological issues including high blood pressure, increased heart rate, fatigue, headaches, intestinal problems, weight gain, etc.
The bottom line is that you gotta give yourself a break during the day and more specifically, an unplugged break away from the digital world.
You’ve gotta manage work stress daily so that you don’t burn yourself out.
Here are five simple and easy ways to disconnect yourself during lunch.
1) Lunch With Your Work BFFs
Grabbing lunch with your work BFF is one of the best things analog things that you guys can do to relieve each other’s stresses from the morning.
It’s an opportunity to not only enjoy some of your fav foods, but also a chance for the two of you to vent and unload the bullshit from the office. Whether you’re packing lunch or going out, spend the time together.
Your lunch hour can be part foodie fun, part therapy and part comedic relief. It’s the only part of your workday that hits on all three benefits at the same time.
Just be sure to stay off the phones and simply enjoy each other’s company. By doing so, you guys are benefiting from one of the true sources of happiness, fun and rewarding relationships.
It’s an opportunity to not only enjoy some of your fav foods, but also a chance for the two of you to vent and unload the bullshit from the office. Whether you’re packing lunch or going out, spend the time together.
Your lunch hour can be part foodie fun, part therapy and part comedic relief. It’s the only part of your workday that hits on all three benefits at the same time.
Just be sure to stay off the phones and simply enjoy each other’s company. By doing so, you guys are benefiting from one of the true sources of happiness, fun and rewarding relationships.
2) Do A Solo Meditative Lunch
As an alternative to the above, it’s also good to go solo for lunch. Sometimes, we just wanna get away from everyone and everything for a bit and that’s totally fine. It’s kinda like solo weekend getaways only here it’s for an hour at work.
Whether you bring your lunch to work or typically buy it, just be sure to eat your lunch somewhere other than your desk or the employee lunchroom. The whole point is to get away from all the tech, office politics, bullshit and drama.
Take a look at Google maps and see if you can spot a nearby park where you can eat and relax with the sounds of nature.
And instead of breaking out your phone, try doing a casual “eating meditation”. This is where you really focus on enjoying the food. Try to taste each bite, each morsel of flavor. It’s all about “being in the moment” with eating.
It’s a lot like how wine enthusiasts drink wine. They do wine meditations and the same principles also apply to food.
Whether you bring your lunch to work or typically buy it, just be sure to eat your lunch somewhere other than your desk or the employee lunchroom. The whole point is to get away from all the tech, office politics, bullshit and drama.
Take a look at Google maps and see if you can spot a nearby park where you can eat and relax with the sounds of nature.
And instead of breaking out your phone, try doing a casual “eating meditation”. This is where you really focus on enjoying the food. Try to taste each bite, each morsel of flavor. It’s all about “being in the moment” with eating.
It’s a lot like how wine enthusiasts drink wine. They do wine meditations and the same principles also apply to food.
3) Take A Midday Power Nap
We’ve all been victims to some seriously powerful food comas after lunch. And, there’s nothing quite as embarrassing as falling asleep at your desk with drool dripping from your mouth.
No matter how much shitty office coffee you drink, sometimes it’s impossible to fight the biological processes that are taking place inside you. Your full stomach needs more oxygenated blood to digest the food, which takes away from the brain and thus makes you sleepy.
So, instead of fighting it, just go with the flow.
Getting some zzz’s at work after eating is one of the best ways to get some much needed shut-eye and recharge your batteries for the afternoon ahead.
If you’re lucky enough to have some kickass work perks like napping pods at the office, use those. Otherwise, if you’re like the vast majority of us that commute to work by car, then use your car as a napping pod during lunch.
No matter how much shitty office coffee you drink, sometimes it’s impossible to fight the biological processes that are taking place inside you. Your full stomach needs more oxygenated blood to digest the food, which takes away from the brain and thus makes you sleepy.
So, instead of fighting it, just go with the flow.
Getting some zzz’s at work after eating is one of the best ways to get some much needed shut-eye and recharge your batteries for the afternoon ahead.
If you’re lucky enough to have some kickass work perks like napping pods at the office, use those. Otherwise, if you’re like the vast majority of us that commute to work by car, then use your car as a napping pod during lunch.
4) Go For A Relaxing Walk
When the weather is cooperative, meaning it’s not raining or too hot or cold, then use your lunch hour for a relaxing walk outside. This is your chance to ditch all the technology and reconnect with nature.
There are incredible benefits of walking in nature. And, you don’t need to head to some big park to get these bennies. Just a simple walk around the block a few times will bring a lot of the same feel-good sensations.
Take a stroll and walk leisurely. Take in what’s happening around you. Hear the birds chirping. See the clouds up in the sky. Feel the breeze across your skin.
Just be “in the moment” and enjoy the nature that surrounds you, even if it’s of the urban variety. When you do this, you’re training your mind to focus more on positive things and less on negative things.
There are incredible benefits of walking in nature. And, you don’t need to head to some big park to get these bennies. Just a simple walk around the block a few times will bring a lot of the same feel-good sensations.
Take a stroll and walk leisurely. Take in what’s happening around you. Hear the birds chirping. See the clouds up in the sky. Feel the breeze across your skin.
Just be “in the moment” and enjoy the nature that surrounds you, even if it’s of the urban variety. When you do this, you’re training your mind to focus more on positive things and less on negative things.
5) Get Your Low-Sweat On
We all know that we need to exercise more. For a lot of us, the most exercise we’ll typically get is the walk across the parking lot to and from our cars and maybe a flight of stairs if we’re ambitious enough.
Getting up at the crack of dawn to work out is about appealing as doing taxes. And, who’s got the energy to work out after a long ass day at the office?
The solution is to do a light workout during lunch. One that doesn’t require you to bring a change of clothes or have to shower afterward.
You can get your low-sweat workout on at work with easy workouts that won’t get you soaked in sweat and will help you bust some stress at the same time.
There are a lot of ways to do this, but one of the simplest workouts is to go for a brisk walk. When you up your walking pace like you’re running late to your flight, you’re getting much of the same benefits as a run but without the big sweat.
Getting up at the crack of dawn to work out is about appealing as doing taxes. And, who’s got the energy to work out after a long ass day at the office?
The solution is to do a light workout during lunch. One that doesn’t require you to bring a change of clothes or have to shower afterward.
You can get your low-sweat workout on at work with easy workouts that won’t get you soaked in sweat and will help you bust some stress at the same time.
There are a lot of ways to do this, but one of the simplest workouts is to go for a brisk walk. When you up your walking pace like you’re running late to your flight, you’re getting much of the same benefits as a run but without the big sweat.
Unplug & Recharge During Lunch To Kick Ass In The Afternoon

It’s way too easy to just break out your phone and start scroll feeding yourself with mindless media during lunch.
While it can be a source of fun and amusement, it also can be a source of stress with endless notifications, social media drama, negative news, late payment emails, etc.
Guess what?
All of that shit is not going away and will always be there. And you don’t need any of that shit during the one precious free hour you have at work.
Use your lunch hour for some well-deserved “me-time” by unplugging from the digital world and being a human in the analog one. You gotta press pause on life and give yourself a breather.
Otherwise, you’ll lose your shit and things will go downhill quick.
Take the time to unplug and recharge during lunch and you’ll be ready to get back in the zone for the afternoon and kick ass.
Feel Better,
[Cubicle|Therapy]
While it can be a source of fun and amusement, it also can be a source of stress with endless notifications, social media drama, negative news, late payment emails, etc.
Guess what?
All of that shit is not going away and will always be there. And you don’t need any of that shit during the one precious free hour you have at work.
Use your lunch hour for some well-deserved “me-time” by unplugging from the digital world and being a human in the analog one. You gotta press pause on life and give yourself a breather.
Otherwise, you’ll lose your shit and things will go downhill quick.
Take the time to unplug and recharge during lunch and you’ll be ready to get back in the zone for the afternoon and kick ass.
Feel Better,
[Cubicle|Therapy]