The psychological and nutritional effects of eating lunch at your desk have been compounded by the global pandemic.
To the surprise of the average workaholic American, the French government legally forbade employees from eating lunch at their desks for years. But just recently, in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19, France’s Labor Ministry changed its labor code to allow folks to consume their midday meals at their work stations. Specifically, employees found eating lunch at their desks will no longer be at risk of incurring a fine.
The purpose of the temporarily defunct law had always been to spur French workers to actually take a break from their routines. According to many studies, that pause is just as necessary to being productive as concentrating on a computer screen for an extended length of time.
But the benefits of eating away from your desk go beyond giving you a much-deserved break. What we eat and how we eat it has psychological and nutritional implications ― even more so during these unprecedented times. Let’s unpack why it’s beneficial to step away from your desk for meals, especially during the pandemic.