It struck me recently that our ever-increasing drive towards enhanced productivity and personal efficiency has definitively shrunk the lunch break down to just lunch.
For too many of us lunch consists of: a two-and-a-half-minute-long elevator chat with co-workers on the way down to a food court; a temporary zone-out while standing in line waiting for a tall order of something frothy and caffeinated; followed by the speedy consumption of an oversized plastic bowl of greens over a keyboard.
Deadlines are deadlines, and taking lunch breaks is not always realistic. But research has repeatedly shown that those who take a lunch break — especially by doing something active or creative — actually achieve higher daily productivity than those who do not.
For days when taking a mid-day break is less consequential, here is a list of some quick things to do in an hour or less at lunch:
- Attend a free EduBite seminar at George Brown College’s The Chef’s House (215 King Street East). EduBites are seminars are “bites” of tips and facts on topics ranging from wines and cheese to buying and shucking oysters, making sushi, or perfecting your knowledge of cooking with spices. Most importantly, the seminars involve food and/or wine sampling. Some upcoming seminars include: tasting the newest wines in “Wines of Tuscany,” learning about (and sampling!) the best cheese pairings in “All About Cheese,” and finding ways to buy better protein in “Organic Meats.” See a full schedule of seminars here .
- Attend a free concert at the spacious Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (145 Queen Street West). These thrilling short bursts of performance take place most Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon, and some Wednesdays at noon. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. Concerts range from vocal, piano, jazz, dance, chamber and world music performances. Upcoming events include: Artists of the U of T Faculty of Music’s Northern Landscapes: Art Songs of Scandinavia on March 20, 2012, and a piano solo by Alexander Seredenko on March 21. See the full schedule here.
- Attend an un-crowded 45 minute session of hot power or hot hatha yoga at Tula Yoga’s gorgeous brightly lit studios at one of its three locations: 30 Duncan Street (Duncan and Richmond), 47 Fraser Avenue (Liberty Village), 956 Bloor Street West (Bloor and Ossington). Arrive 15 before the start of class to get a spot. Your first drop-in yoga class is $10; your second is complimentary. See the lunchtime series schedule here.
- Settle in to your own individual Digital Viewing Station at the National Film Board’s (NFB) Mediatheque and watch one of the NFB’s 6,000 free on-demand documentaries, animations, shorts, new releases, and classics. (These dimly-lit little viewing nests are also great for naps!) The NFB Mediatheque is located at 150 John St. (at Richmond St. W). It is closed on Mondays, but opens at 12 p.m. all other days of the week.
Maria Gergin is a Toronto-based articling student.