Stop Taking a Working Lunch in Your Online Business

Working for yourself online includes a lot of freedom. No rules to follow from an employer. You can work when you want, wear what you want, etc. I do have to stress that even though you are allowed to eat at your desk, unlike at many jobs…you should stop taking a working lunch in your online business.

A lot of us have done it.

I have done it more times than I can count over the years, but over the past couple of years I’ve stopped that practice.

Now, I’m not talking about snacks and coffee or anything like that…

I’m talking about when you need to eat lunch.

Or in the case of working from home, you may work at night or in the morning really early…so this advise really applies to breakfast and dinner too.

Whenever it’s time for you to have a meal.

Put your online business aside and eat your meal.

Eat at a normal pace and enjoy it.

Your computer or laptop is not going anywhere.

The work that you have to do will still be there waiting for you.

So, for your health and sanity and work-life balance…for goodness sakes, take time to take care of yourself.

Depending on how busy you are and how long your task list is for your online business, there may be very few times throughout the day when you can stop and relax.

⬆️ If You Prefer a Different Format, Here’s a Video Version of this Blog Post with Added Commentary ⬆️

This is how it is in the offline job world, especially in hectic jobs that require a lot of work and a lot of attention.

Then other jobs, like clerical or admin type jobs actually allow you to eat at your desk.

You are usually so bogged down with work that you do end up eating lunch at your desk, while working…even while clocked out.

I was one of those people.

Overly dedicated to a thankless employer and all it did was affect my health.

If you came from the 9-5 corporate rat race though, you probably know that working lunches have become a sort of norm over time.

People are willing and almost expected to work through lunch and just nonchalantly eat while continuing to do their jobs.

That’s what I did.

I actually felt guilty if I didn’t eat while working and in the end it wasn’t even worth it.

Sure, you could take your time eating, but you were still juggling work at the same time.

Then on the flip side of the coin, some jobs like call center jobs adhere to very strict rules on when you eat and where you can eat.

They determine when you are allowed to take breaks and lunches and you’re usually limited to two 15-minute breaks and one 30-minute lunch.

You aren’t allowed any food at your desk at all, not even snacks. Drinks must be in a spillproof cup.

So, you are allowed and expected to eat while NOT working, but it doesn’t mean it’s relaxing or that you can actually take your time and digest your food.

In fact, you barely have time to make it to the authorized eating area and then you have to gobble your food down so that you get back to your desk on time.

It’s all on a computer timer too, so don’t be late!

Neither of these situations are ideal.

I’ve dealt with both scenarios and it was not pleasant.

So, keep in mind as an online entrepreneur….you call the shots and one of those things is lunch (or breakfast and dinner)…when you’re not obligated to do anything at all.

If you want to take a small step towards improving your work-life balance, this is an easy one.

Stop working through lunch and take that allotted time to relax for a little bit, in the midst of your busy day.

In fact, when you take lunch, don’t even think about work

Don’t even talk about it.

Get work off of your mind for the hour or so that you eat, and use that time in full to eat your lunch and relax a little bit.

This is really tough.

I know because it can be easy to get addicted to your online business.

A lot of us can be workaholics and work more than we did for an employer.

I have to be very careful with this because I do have severe neck issues that have to be monitored.

So, actually frequent small breaks and definitely stopping to eat are very important for my physical health.

I’m really not supposed to work for hours on end because of my issues, but sometimes I lose track of time or I get overly excited and engrossed in a project and I don’t use good judgement.

A proper work-life balance is going to look differently for everybody, depending on individual needs and commitments.

For me, I’m supposed to get up once per hour and at least stretch, walk around a bit and drink water.

I may even need to stop and lay down and use ice packs on my neck and back.

I work best in the late afternoon into the evening, but I do sometimes get started earlier in the morning.

So, no matter what hours I work, I have to take breaks and I now always stop whatever I’m doing when it’s time to eat a meal.

I close my computer down and turn the wifi off on my phone.

I turn off notifications, etc.

If you feel you must do something while you eat, do something other than work on your online business.

I watch television or a movie while I eat, but there are plenty of other things that you can do.

For example, while you eat and have the time, listen to some music or listen to an audiobook or just read a normal one.

Getting lost in a story is a great way to unwind.

If you’re feeling stressed, go eat outside if it’s a nice enough day out…not too hot or too cold…eat lunch out on the porch or by the pool, if you have one.

Go to a park and eat where you can enjoy the weather and the sights and sounds.

Whether it’s a busy city or a more rural area, spending time outside can be a nice change of pace.

Remember, you’re the boss and you don’t have to worry about needing permission to do what you want, when you want…so feel free to be creative.

This can really help recharge your batteries and so when you get back to working on your online business, you will feel more relaxed and clear-headed.

Most importantly during lunch, you should enjoy your food.

If you take a working lunch, you’ll be so focused on your business that you won’t even get the chance to enjoy your food in the first place.

Whether it’s a home cooked meal or some food you buy elsewhere each day, taking the time to enjoy the food you’re eating is important.

It might seem really insignificant, but it can make a huge difference in your mood and your digestion.

You might even end up taking more time at home to make better meals to enjoy while you’re taking full advantage of your lunch time.

Good meals aren’t as hard to make as you might think.

So, use the freedom you have as your own boss to take care of yourself.

Don’t let anyone push you off of this idea, either.

You don’t owe anybody any explanations on how you manage your life and work schedule.

You work for yourself, not anybody else and certainly nobody else is paying your bills.

So, they don’t get a say in whether you can sit, relax and enjoy your meals.

Don’t think you have to overwork yourself just because others do it to themselves.

Having an online business is a unique opportunity to do things the way you want to do them and this includes lunch!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day 🙂

To Your Success,

P.S.- Be sure to grab your free gifts below as a Thank You for visiting my website 🙂

About

Nicole Lynn

from

Resources for Online Success

My Online Journey

You don’t know me. I’m not some flashy internet marketer with my name and face all over the internet.

Nope. I’m actually way too introverted for that 🙂

I’m just an ordinary person that had to figure out a way to make money online when I lost my job in 2008, due to health issues.

In the offline world, I gained several years experience in Customer Service, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable and various other clerical type positions.

Much of it was drudgery, especially working in call centers.

I was good at my various jobs, but I did not enjoy being hostage to a cubicle and headset..lol 🙂

But, you do what soul sucking jobs you have to do, in order to make money to pay the bills.

As a free spirit, I always had the deep desire to break free from the cubicle-zombie-robot rat race world and have full control over my time, income and life, without having to have permission from a boss.

I was tired of being just another “number” that was expendable, no matter how dependable I was or how hard I worked (just to help build someone else’s wealth and make their dreams come true).

I wanted to create MY freedom…not just build it for someone else.

Unexpectedly in 2008, severe neck issues forced me out of the 9 to 5 corporate world rat race (before I was actually ready financially, which really sucked a lot and was pretty scary).

My neck issues got worse after years of being trapped at a computer, with little to no permission to get up and move around and stretch.

This is not good when you are suffering from old car accident injuries.

This was especially the case in call center jobs with low cubicle walls. They didn’t want you standing up, due to the noise while on calls.

And although losing my job and the paycheck was a less than pleasant experience, my goal was to be an online entrepreneur anyway.

But, I was forced to make it happen at that point…which was not ideal.

Wasted Time Dabbling

It’s better to have a 2nd income already coming in regularly before losing your main source of income, but I had no control over what happened.

I had already been “dabbling” in internet marketing, on the side, since 2004…basically wasting time.

I treated it as a hobby, instead of an online business.

I actually made a little bit of money with affiliate commissions and some advertising revenue, but it was nothing to write home about because I did not build it up.

If I had realized that my health was going to go sideways so badly in 2008, then I would’ve taken my online business “side gig” much more seriously.

I would’ve hustled, even while still working a full-time job, because 4 years would’ve been more than enough time to have built that online business into a full-time income.

Just an extra 1 hour per day consistently over that 4 year period…would have made all the difference.

So, after I lost my job in 2008, I was in a real bind for more than one reason.

I needed to get serious and stop dabbling and start hustling to make money online, but it takes time to build an online business that brings in consistent income.

I was out of time. My household went from two incomes to one and I needed to get moving.

The problem was my severe neck issues and the accompanying dizziness from nerve damage in my C1 Vertebrae, the Atlas.

So, this meant that I couldn’t exactly hustle like I needed to because being on a computer for hours each day at home is no different than doing it at a job.

I was no longer able to do this, if I wanted to not end up completely disabled or bed-ridden.

The years 2008-2011 were extremely tough in trying to heal, but with proper therapy, the worst of it got better, but it’s not 100%.

Even now in 2022, I still can only be on a computer so much each day, without causing flare-ups.

So again, if I had taken it all more seriously, then I wouldn’t have ended up with so many financial worries, when I lost my job.

I would’ve had something more substantial to fall back on during times that were difficult money-wise and health-wise.

Then, add in beating my head against the wall, jumping from one “program” to another and basically flushing more time and money down the toilet.

Losing my job made me act in desperation because I wanted to make something happen right now.

So, I ended up doing what a lot of people do, which is looking for a shortcut and something “quick” or “push button”…which is not realistic because it doesn’t really exist.

Then in 2012, I joined Wealthy Affiliate because it had the tools and resources I needed all in one place, to help me build an online business.

Fast forward to 2020, I joined The Home Business Academy to add even more great tools and resources to my online business arsenal.

I now use both of these resources to increase my income.

I talk more about this over on my Recommended Resources page listed under Resources #1 and #2.

I enjoy making money online because I can work from anywhere and on my own schedule, while still being able to take care of my health.

You Can Do It Too

So, why do I tell you all of this?

I share all of this with you, so you’ll know it’s possible to make money online and have total freedom from the 9-5 grind.

It takes time to build an online business, but it’s worth it to build either a side-income to supplement your full-time job or replace your job.

If you have found yourself in a similar situation to me or you simply want to get ahead of things and plan for the future, your goal going forward should be to not waste any more time.

Whether you love your job or hate your job, it’s always a good idea to have a Plan B to supplement your income or replace your income.

You never know what can happen with your job or even with your health.

Don’t waste time, like I did.

Just get started and keep going.

Hustle.

Do not dabble.

Take action now.

And most importantly, believe in yourself.

You can do it!