In Favor of Real Lunch Breaks: New Study Suggests “Fast-Food” Thinking Leads to Impatience

Posted by Sara on Monday, June 9th, 2014 with Comments Off on In Favor of Real Lunch Breaks: New Study Suggests “Fast-Food” Thinking Leads to Impatience Comments

A new study out of the University of Toronto is adding more fuel to the fire when it comes to the unhealthy nature of rushing through lunch breaks. Researchers found that fast food — the kind eaten in a rush and while on the go — makes people more impatient and less able to savor life experiences like looking at a beautiful painting or listening to an opera. The implication? Eating fast food can disrupt our attention and ability to focus… which could have huge implications for workplace productivity.

In the study, researchers established that even the unconscious suggestion of fast food (like the golden arches of McDonald’s) flashed for a few undetectable milliseconds on a computer screen) led participants to increase their speed on a reading task. In another task, participants who were instructed to spend time thinking about fast food showed tendencies to forgo long-term benefit over a short-term payout — another signal of impatience.

At times, it’s good to be hurried: when you have an impending deadline and a simple task, increasing your reading speed is probably a positive thing. But when you’re working on a more involved project or something that requires continued, careful attention, this “fast food” style of working isn’t going to do you any favors.

While meals, fast food, and attention at work may seem unrelated, they’re connected on both physical and psychological levels. Physically, the kinds of foods you eat on your lunch breaks will impact your energy and focus through the day — a meal full of refined carbohydrates that are quickly digested will leave you feeling buzzed for a short time and exhausted the rest of the day. Similarly, taking a mental break over your lunch hour can help your mind re-focus and feel more prepared for the afternoon ahead. In the University of Toronto study, researchers found that when participants looked at pictures of fast food packages, they felt impatient. When they looked at the same food on real plates with real cutlery, the impatience wasn’t there. This goes hand-in-hand with the concept of mindful eating, which proposes that taking time to create a ritual out of your meal will help you enjoy it more (and likely eat less!).

The bad news is that many of our days are fast-food-paced. More than 30 percent of American employees report working right through their lunch break — or skipping it altogether. Given the mounting evidence in studies like this latest one, it’s likely past time for workplaces to consider how they can promote a culture of patience, and of taking time to have a real break during the day. It may take half an hour’s worth of time, but could have huge ramifications for productivity, focus, and mental health — well worth the investment.

One way to promote taking time to recharge is by providing office meals and lunches for your team. Encourage everyone to gather in the break room, share a meal together, and spend some time away from their computer screens. Not only will it help employees recharge, but will improve office teamwork — and possibly boost job satisfaction, as well! And with easy online ordering and reliable delivery from Waiter.com, it’s never been easier to help create a more productive, more mindful workplace!

When it comes to feeding employees and coworkers, make your company's food program really count! If your workplace dining plan needs to take it up a notch — or if you don't have one at all — Waiter.com is here to help. From Virtual Cafeteria Service to diverse menus to local takeout & delivery, Waiter.com offers customizable dining solutions for every business and budget. Contact us today to get started!

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