Who doesn’t look forward to lunch every day? Between getting work done, hitting deadlines, running between meetings, and keeping up on Twitter, lunch is the fuel to most people’s business day.
For example, if I bring a lunch into the office, it’s almost always gone by 11:00 am. I devour it ravenously (and mindlessly) in front of my computer screen. I won’t talk or interact with anyone other than my personal friends online, lamenting how at 11:03 am, my lunch is already gone.
Lovingly called, Elevenses, it’s a condition coined by Peregrin Took in Lord of the Rings. In the saga, the hobbits are wary of undertaking a journey because they are unsure they’ll be properly fed. Concerns range from breakfast to second breakfast to elevenses to lunch. And honestly, I get it.
Food keeps me motivated through the workday. If I just get through to number five on today’s agenda, I’ll reward myself with a snack. Could this be the start of a bad habit? Of course, but that’s where my personal self-control comes into check. Food is an incredible motivator in the office.
Since moving to a workplace where lunch and snacks are provided, I’ve noticed quite the change in my work pace and tenacity toward my to-dos. Rather than scarfing down my lunch alone, I look forward to my newly deemed “Onesies,” (lunch is now at 1:00 pm) where I convene with my colleagues and dine on the hottest, local fare.
Productive, efficient, and most importantly, delicious: a group lunch gives this human reason to go on any daily journey.
