How do you spend your lunch break? If you wonder what this mysterious “lunch break” is, or if you consider sitting at your desk scarfing down a bag of snacks to be a lunch break, you might want to rethink your approach. The reality is that eating lunch with other people, more specifically, with your colleagues, is the healthier, and more fun, way to go.
Eating with your coworkers brings a slew of benefits both to you individually, and to your team. Read on to learn more about these benefits. Then, look up places to eat in Allen where you can enjoy a lunch break or even dinner with your colleagues.
Eating with coworkers strengthens the team.
Team building activities are all the rage, and rightfully so. Setting aside time to engage in activities with your coworkers can lead to better communication, relationships, and productivity at the office. You don’t, however, have to set aside an entire day to engage in specialized activities in order to strengthen your team. You could just choose to have lunch with them at one of the many great places to eat in Allen.
Eating lunch allows you to spend time talking with the people you work with about things other than work. That means you begin to build meaningful relationships and find common ground with the people in your office. The more time you spend getting to know each other, the more you learn about how to communicate effectively and work productively with them.
These more personal relationships and knowledge can translate into a more cohesive and effective team. It is easier to complete a project with someone you know and like personally than to complete a project with someone who is essentially a stranger. Understanding each team member’s strengths makes it easier to assign tasks for a project or to communicate effectively when work needs to get done.
In addition, eating with your coworkers gives you the chance to spend time with people you don’t necessarily see every day. Cross-office communication and relationship-building can help the whole business to work more smoothly when you get back to your job.
Eating with coworkers gives you a much-needed break.
Chances are you have a lot on your plate at work. It can be tempting to spend all day staring at your computer screen or trying to get projects done. The working lunch is a thing for a reason. However, the reality is that everyone needs a break. Stepping back from work is good for your emotional, mental, and even physical health.
When you eat with your coworkers, you have the chance to stop thinking about work. That break can clear your mind and reduce your stress levels. You also have the opportunity to make healthier food options when you eat with other people. A bag of chips or a vending machine sandwich is not as appealing when you are sitting around the table with others.
Making healthy choices is even easier when you choose certain places to eat in Allen, like PINSTACK, whose restaurant offers fresh, high-quality food. At these locations, any choice you make will be better than snacks from the vending machine or a PBJ from home. Combine healthy and delicious food with enjoyable conversation and time away from stress for a more relaxed and healthier you.
Choosing places to eat in Allen with your coworkers can improve productivity.
That project’s fast-approaching deadline and that new work that just landed on your desk demand your attention. In order to get everything done, however, you are going to want to step back from it for a bit. One study showed that the most productive people alternate 52 minute blocks of work time with 17 minute blocks of break time.
You might not be able to get away from your work that often. However, enjoying a meal with your colleagues is a fun way to build a break into your day in order to boost your productivity. Studies of firefighters have shown that those who eat together perform better than those who do not. There is something about sharing a meal that creates not just camaraderie but productivity to boot.
Maybe it is the team building. Maybe it is the relationship-building. Maybe it is the chance to get away for a while. Whatever the reason, lunching with your colleagues can actually be good for your job as well as for your mental, emotional, and physical health.
Eating with coworkers allows you to network.
Professional success is often built on the ability to network with others. One of the simplest ways to build networking right into your work day is to eat with your coworkers. For example, maybe you eat lunch with someone from a different office. The relationship you build from that meal might help you accomplish a difficult project, alert you to a new job opening within your company, or give you access to training you need to build your skills.
You can even enjoy networking with people you work with every day. A lunch buddy who moves on to a new company might put in a good word for you with their new employer, for example. An office mate might have skills you need to finish a project, which they can teach you. You never know what professional opportunities will arise when you eat with your coworkers.
From helping you build relationships, having fun, boosting productivity, improving your team, and more, eating a meal with your coworkers allows you to build a stronger, healthier and more productive you and team. Next time lunch time rolls around, try checking out one of the great places to eat in Allen.
In particular, consider stopping by PINSTACK. We offer chef-inspired American cuisine to help you enjoy a delicious menu and even some fun activities with your colleagues. Stop by for lunch or dinner, and see how spending time with your colleagues can be good for you, for them, and for your work.
