Making good use of my lunch hour

When my office was still located at the hospital, my co-workers and I would break up the day by having lunch on the outside patio of the cafeteria. It was a nice way to get away from our computers for a little while and enjoy the sunshine.

Our new building doesn't have a cafeteria, and most people eat lunch at their desks or go out to eat. So I've decided to start using my lunch hour to take walks on the days that I don't have meetings during the noon hour.

This picture shows the street near my office - you can't really see it because of the trees, but my building is to the right and the Torrey Pines golf course is to the left. There are wide sidewalks for walking, and because the golf course sits above the ocean, there is a nice breeze.

Yesterday I took my gym shoes and a change of clothes to work, and went for a 40-minute walk at noon. I was amazed at how many people were doing the same thing - I passed dozens of people, some still wearing their work clothes and ID badges, getting their own exercise in over lunch.

You're probably wondering how I could go back to work after getting all sweaty - because I used to wonder the same thing about people who exercise during their lunch hour. I used a pre-moistened cleansing cloth to wipe away all the sweat, then reapplied deoderant, ran a comb through my hair, and blotted my face with oil-blotting papers. Voila - fresh as a daisy in five minutes flat. By the time I changed back into my work clothes, you'd never guess I just got back from a brisk 40-minute walk.

I was so rejuvenated that I had no problem eating my lunch at my computer and refocusing on my work. I'm going to start blocking off my calendar during the lunch hour as often as possible...