Photo attributed to Thenix
For the past few days, I have noticed a lot of talk about minimalistic food. A lot of minimalism bloggers practice minimalism not only in the stuff they own, in the jobs they do, in the blogs they write, but also the food that they eat. They eat only as much as their bodies need to survive, they eat mindfully and they are fitter for it.
For me, food is one of pleasures of life. One of the most important pleasures in life. I have thought about the fact that even though I love food, at work, busy with the hundred tasks that are assigned to me in the day, I am unable to sit down and enjoy my lunch with any thought of mindfulness.
I gulp it down to quell the hunger that I feel and I hope that my body will not need sustenance for a while, so I can finish all the work on my plate. I usually have one hand on the fork and one hand on my keyboard. It is actually quite sad the more I think about it. It would be better if I just fasted all day at work, then putting food down my throat in this unmindful manner.
I have been trying really hard in the past few weeks to take my lunch into a different room, sit down and have it at least for ten minutes without any email interruptions or phone calls. Even if I have to schedule it into my schedule at work, I do, and I try most days to take the time to eat. The funny thing is that the culture at most workplaces has now changed. It is actually frowned upon to sit down away from your desk for half an hour and eat your food.
Most people at my work look at me oddly. Why is she sitting there and eating her lunch? She must not have a lot to do. Or maybe it is just the guilt in my head talking. But no matter what it is, I am resolved to take the time to eat my lunch away from the keyboard. I find just that ten minute break resets me back to the calm that I felt after my meditation session in the morning. It helps me get through the rest of the day without tearing my hair off.
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Good for you! Do as the French and savor the food that nourishes your body (and soul?).
It is your right; who cares what others think.
Yes, the French really do have it right, don’t they? We should really learn from them.
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Not sure how I came across this, but glad I did. I moved to Germany a year ago, and the mindset here really blew me away. The close all their shops between 12 and 3 so that people can enjoy lunch. When I first learned about this, I was shocked! Believe me, you are not the weird one for taking ten minutes… Americans are the weird ones for not closing everything down to enjoy a much needed meal!
I have heard of the concept of the ‘siesta’ before and I absolutely adore it. I wish North Americans were more interested in health and rest, rather than money and more money. I wouldn’t mind taking a brief siesta every day around noon, to recharge and rejuvenate. The horrible thing is that even taking ten minutes makes me feel guilty – it’s the mindset that we’ve bought up with. Thanks for the comment!
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When I still worked for a corporation (now I work for myself, best decision ever!) I used to always make sure to take a lunch. This was MY TIME and I needed it! A lot of my coworkers would always brag about not taking lunch, or staying late. I sometimes did feel guilty about taking a lunch and often had the same thoughts as you go through my head “does he have nothing better to do than eat?” I started to realize why I was able to and enjoyed taking my hour long lunches. Unlike the rest of my co-workers I worked smarter and new it was important to take breaks!
Still waiting to move into working for myself
Good for you for making the move. I know what you are saying. I feel better after I take the time, but I still feel guilty about it. I know its good for me, but I feel like a traitor for taking the time away from my desk. Oh well. I’m not going to stop taking lunch away from my desk, everyone’s just going to have to get used to it 