Whether you’ve got five minutes to cram in a sandwich and scroll through social media, or a whole hour that you spend deciding what to order on UberEats, we could all get a little more out of our lunch breaks. The time in the middle of our working day is super important. Not only does it give us a brief chance to decompress from the morning’s work, but it also gives us the best opportunity to set ourselves up for success in the afternoon. If you regularly feel that 3 pm slump, notice that your productivity goes out of the window past 2 pm, or can’t concentrate for love nor money in the last hour of your day, then you can make some changes in your lunch break that will help to change this. Use these tips to give your brain a boost and your boss (and your mood) will thank you for it.
Engage in Some Mental Arithmetic
Mathematics lessons might bring back haunting memories, but improving your mental math will likely do your brain some good. That doesn’t mean you have to pour over a math textbook, you can use a game to help you instead. If you want to improve your basic addition, then a game like blackjack could be perfect. This game requires you only to add up to 21, which should be achievable for all of us. However, the more you practice, the quicker you’ll get. If you hesitate to add 7, 5 and 6, then this game could help you get a little quicker. It’s easy to play online and if you’re concerned about the cost then there are lots of casino bonuses that are available to use which will help your play money stretch further. Vegas Slots Online has collated a list of the bonuses that are available for various casino sites and has listed the games that are available to play as well. This means it is easy to spot where you can play blackjack. There are even some sites that will let you try it out for free to see if you enjoy it. Once you’ve got the hang of blackjack and your mental math has got quicker, you might consider moving onto a game that poses even more of a mathematical challenge.
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Take Time to Stretch
Most would assume that stretching is going to boost your body rather than your train and whilst it’s true that your body will benefit, your brain certainly will too. Getting up and moving around, particularly when you have a relatively sedentary job (looking at you, office workers) is so important. Our bodies need movement to thrive, but so do our brains. Yoga is the perfect sort of exercise to fit into your lunch break. Firstly, because you don’t need a lot of space, just enough to lay down your mat. Secondly, because you don’t have to get all sweaty to reap the rewards. There are lots of yoga apps that will guide you through the very beginning stages. Find yourself a workout that lasts anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes and involves lots of deep stretching. Yoga encourages you to clear your mind, focus on your breathing and really tune in with your body. All of these things will help your brain to stay sharp and focused during the second part of your shift. Not only that, but over time, you’ll reap the physical rewards as well as the emotional, with a stronger core and better flexibility.
Solve a Problem and Boost Your Brain
Whatever happened to solving riddles? We bet it’s been a while since you’ve challenged yourself with a brain teaser and that’s about to change. Often we’re led to believe that some of us are lateral thinkers and some of us are logical, but that’s just not true. You can always train your brain to think through things in different ways and riddles are a great way to do that. This site provides a riddle of the day and is totally free. Plus, if you really kick into that lateral way of thinking quickly, even those who are cramming in their five-minute sandwich can probably fit in the daily riddle. Those that find they enjoy the challenge might consider downloading an app (there are many) or even buying a book if you like doing things the old-fashioned way!
