Do you ever have those days where it seems like your work shift is never going to end? That mid day crash can be brutal and you find yourself craving your bed in a way that makes it seem like it will never be time to go home. In the big picture, there may be bigger problems to work out than what I’m going to be going over in this post. Maybe you need to consider a career change or start applying to other positions in your field. I wish you the absolute best in your journey towards that because our careers take up a large amount of our time and we should be able to enjoy it.
We’re not going to be working on new chapters today. Instead, today, I’m really interested in discussing simple moments of your day. The ones that don’t necessarily change your circumstances, but instead give you a little extra gas in your “motivation tank” to get through your work day or work week. Maybe these will even help you to still have motivation when your shift is over so that you can start working on those life-changing opportunities. But for today, let’s enjoy 2 Food Joys!
1. Food Break Joy
For me, the hardest part of getting through the day is finding myself in that rut where if feels like the clock isn’t moving. The day is going by SO slowly, I have SO many hours left, and I have NOTHING to look forward to until my shift ends.
So how do we break this up?
Well, I think if you ask most people who are having a rough morning at work what the best part of their shift is going to be (other than clocking out) will be their lunch break. Let’s think about why:
- Eating breaks up the monotony of the day
- It gives you stimulation through your tastebuds
- You get to take a few moments to mentally and/or physically rest from the chaos of the day
- People ENJOY eating
So what if we apply the benefits of a lunch break to mini breaks that can give the same benefits. I’m a big advocate for people allowing themselves several “checkpoints” throughout the day. I’m prepared to use myself as an example!
What I do:
I don’t like to eat my whole breakfast in one sitting. I used to do that, and it had its benefits. I’d feel nice and full going into work with plenty of nutrition inside my belly. I wouldn’t have to worry about eating for several hours, so I could get straight to work when I arrived at my office. There were days that I was running late to work, so I would just pack my entire breakfast and bring it with me. Sometimes those days would be busy at work, so I’d take a few bites of my breakfast now, do some work, take a few more bites, and do some more work. A breakfast that would normally take me 15 minutes to eat would be spread out over 2 hours. I fell in love with it
Now, every day my breakfast looks something like this (keep in mind I already packed all of this the night before or the morning of work):
- Drink my hot tea in my car on my way to work
- Eat my morning potatoes, peppers, and onions at my office desk while my computer turns on
- Take a break from eating to do some paperwork before my first client shows up
- Take 1 minute to eat half of an avocado before I bring my first client in
- See a couple clients
- Take 1 minute to eat a banana
- Drink my protein shake while I see my next client
- Take 3 minutes to eat a peanut butter sandwich before I see one more client
- LUNCH BREAK
The theory is simple: I give myself little 1 to 3 minute joys that make me feel fueled up for the next “block” of my work day. And at the end of it, I get to look forward to my lunch break. After lunch, I’ll probably have a snack or a piece of fruit for the last portion of the day too. Or maybe I’ll eat it in my car after my shift is over as a reward for a hard day’s work.
But Frankie, I can’t do that because I’m dieting
I hear you. I get it, I am taking advantage of the fact that I have a fast metabolism to squeeze a little extra joy out of the day without any guilt. But take notice, I don’t eat anything unhealthy. I’m actually choosing food that will FUEL me. Stick within your diet plan and find something you can eat guilt free throughout the day. Carrots and hummus, a handful of trail mix or almonds, a cup of yogurt, hard boiled eggs, a small salad. YOU PROBABLY HAVE OPTIONS. Check out these healthy snack ideas if you can’t come up with any of your own.
Try this – it breaks your day up into bite sized chunks, it positively reinforces you several times after completing each “chapter” of your work day, and you get a nice burst of stimulation to break up the mundane work environment you may work in.
2. Meal Prep Joy
So I wouldn’t recommend something that requires work if I wouldn’t be willing to do it myself. I anticipate some people may disagree with me on this one, but I think it is EXTREMELY important to consider meal prepping for your week. I personally have Sunday mornings blocked out for my meal prep. In this time, I make simple dishses that cover my breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Monday through Friday. I use my oven and roast a lot things, I cook enough grains for the week, I prepare any chicken or meats I’ll be eating and get those grilled up too. Once I have all of my food prepped, I start breaking them down into individual containers for each meal of each day.
Don’t believe me? Here’s the final product of my meal prep from last week:
Monday to Friday DONE – no worries
If you’re wondering where I got that glassware, I highly recommend these
But how does this help you get through the work day?
Well for starters, it supports our first point by letting you be organized enough to have a selection of food to munch on throughout your work day. Also, isn’t it SO disheartening to work a full challenging day at work knowing you still have to go home, cook dinner, and clean up? You always have the option to eat out or pick up a pizza on your way home, but that gets expensive to do 5 days per week. It also probably isn’t meeting your ideal health goals, is it? It makes your work day end with grace and allows you time when you get home. What you do with that time is up to you – Put your feet up and enjoy some productive relaxation. Go exercise. Start working on job applications if you aren’t happy in your current place of employment. Spend time with your friends or family.
I think if you try this and get good at it, you’ll find that there’s no going back. It takes me about 2 to 3 hours each Sunday to have all of my food ready for the week. The cleanup is quick and easy – I just have to wash the containers from the day. So invest in some oven sheets, pans, containers, seasonings, and your own time. You’ll be glad you did!