Hands down my favorite snack is chips and salsa.
One of my close friends from work and I used to frequent a great Mexican restaurant across the street from the office.
The staff there got to know us pretty well and by the time we sat down they were already bringing us the chips and salsa.
With an individual salsa for each of us.
This was pre-COVID days, so it wasn't for health reasons. It was just because they knew how much we loved them (and maybe to save them a trip to bring more salsa right away!).
I sure miss those lunches we used to have.
Seems like a lifetime ago and an entirely different universe.
We used to walk from the office to the restaurant and talk the entire way.
We're both fast talkers and animated with our hands, so I'm sure the drivers on the road who saw us walking got a good laugh out of it.
We didn't care though.
We were busy catching up on life, getting each other's feedback on projects we were struggling with, and just enjoying being away from the office for a bit so we could recharge.
Those were some of my most productive days. I'd come back from lunch with renewed energy and a clear head.
I'd often see other co-workers who literally scarfed down a sandwich at their desk and just kept their heads down for the entire day.
When they saw us going out for lunch, I swear I could sometimes feel the dirty looks. Or maybe that was just my perception.
I would tell them to take a break, get away from the cubicle, take a walk around the block.
But I'd always get the same response, "There's just too much to do."
I call BS on that excuse.
It's so important to take time to rest and recharge. There's proof that we are more productive human beings when we take care of ourselves. But we have to consciously choose to do it.
This applies at home too, not just at work.
It's even more important now with virtual work and kids and families home together so much more.
The areas of our lives that used to be so distinct (home, work, school) are now all blended together.
Give yourself a break from your computer, your kids, your spouse. Take a few minutes to do something that gets your blood flowing, that clears your mind, and that gives you energy.
That looks different for all of us, but the concept is universal. And so critical to our mental health.
I'm hopeful that at some point, I'll be able to get back to my regular walks and lunches with my co-worker, even if they have to look a bit different than before.
Just as long as we still have chips and salsa!
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