One of the ways to make a change in your life is to use your time wisely. COVID-19 has rendered the world home-bound and with most of us working from home, we’ve implemented different ways to work and live. Although we are on lockdown, some of our working hours may have changed slightly. We can’t ignore the fact that we may be eating more than usual too. This article is about helping you optimize your lunch hour — yes, you should be taking only one. Here’s how you can make the most of your lunch break while working from home.
1/ Start preparing dinner
Deputy Editor, Wanita Nicol says starting a pot of food — a stew or soup or a roast in the oven is one way to make the most of your lunch break. “It can just cook away for the afternoon while you’re working and in the evening you’ll have a delicious meal that will give you leftovers for days instead of just a quick weeknight dinner,” she says.
READ MORE: 9 Super-Easy Midday Activities That’ll Help You Get Into The Work-Life Groove At Home
2/ A quick workout session
Are you still wearing your smartwatch and aiming for 10 000 steps each day? It sounds absurd, but I am! Why not squeeze in a workout during your lunch break? Managing Editor, Amy Hopkins says there are loads of great 20-minute or 30-minute home workouts out there. Perfect time to smash one in to keep energy high! We have many video home workouts on our Women’s Health Youtube Channel.
3/ Practice Mindfulness
Have you been taking part in our Women’s Health 21 Day Challenge? Practising mindfulness is good for creating a positive mood and outlook, as well as self-discipline. Our Mindfulness Manual is also available at Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Shoprite, Checkers for all your journaling and moments of solace, so pop it in your trolley when you go stock up on your essentials.
READ MORE: 12 Reasons Why Self-Care Is Necessary During Quarantine
4/ Ditch the gadgets
If there’s anything that COVID 19 and lockdown has taught us is that we’re a tech-savvy nation. Our phones are constantly in our hands and eyes are glued to screens. Use your lunch hour to step away from your all gadgets and just unplug. Take deep breaths in, before heading back into the grind.
5/ Get through a few chapters from your latest read
Why not read a few chapters of that book you’ve been putting on hold, because you didn’t have time? Seeing as we can’t do much travelling, why not let your mind be transported to a different country or place through the pages of an interesting book. Sounds like a solid plan.
READ MORE: 12 Ways To Be Efficient When Working From Home
6/ Sort out your closet
Cleaning and decluttering is classified as an activity to do during the lockdown. If you have items of clothing that you no longer need, perhaps now is a good time to put them aside for someone in need. This is great for freeing up space for all the Winter shopping you can do once lockdown is over.
7/ Do a free online training course
Some people prefer using lockdown as a way to slow down and recuperate, and other people are using this time to advance their skills. If you’re up for the challenge (and trust, there are plenty of those going around), why not hop online and find free online training courses that you can do. A few examples are Udemy, Class Central, edX and Coursera to name a few.
READ MORE: 6 Tips On How To Protect Your Mental Health During The Coronavirus Pandemic
8/ Hang up a load of washing
We’re using the lunch hour to kill many birds with one stone, but most importantly saving time. Deputy Editor, Wanita Nicol says doing a load a day during the week will save you having to do all the washing come the weekend.
