Your mental and emotional health could be affected by how you eat your lunch: survey

New research has revealed that more than half of Americans admit they regularly fail to step outside during an in-office workday.

A survey of 2,000 hybrid workers explored the realities of the daily grind and uncovered that beyond their morning and evening commute, 56% stay trapped indoors.

On top of that, 85% of workers skip their lunch break entirely on occasion, despite desperately needing a midday respite.

But according to the results, today’s workforce is determined to reinvent the lunch break.

Almost all respondents (91%) believe that taking a lunch break during work is essential, and another 63% would even go so far as to say they have a higher opinion of colleagues who prioritize taking a real lunch break.

Another 78% say in an ideal world, they would prefer to eat their lunch outdoors for a majority of their workdays.

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Wild Planet, the results revealed that there may be mental and emotional payoffs associated with getting outdoors.

Before eating lunch during a typical work week, only 51% of workers rate their overall happiness between a 4 or a 5 out of 5.

However, after eating lunch outdoors, that happiness rating jumps up to 66%.

During a typical week, the average worker eats lunch while working at their desk about three days per week (2.5).

On top of that, respondents are still likely to eat lunch at their desk even while not working another three days (2.6) per workweek.

Many are driven to get outdoors by the belief that getting fresh air completely resets their focus (64%) and that screen breaks are essential for mental clarity (58%).

When asked what keeps them trapped indoors, respondents pointed to having too many work meetings or tasks (29%) or constant pressure to remain available to their colleagues (25%).

“A significant number of American workers clearly feel the benefit of stepping into the outdoors during their lunch hours,” said Sue Thanavaro, Brand Marketing Director of Wild Planet. “Taking your meal outside forces you to slow down, disconnect from the screen, and actually appreciate real, mindfully sourced food. It’s one of the easiest ways to reconnect with the wild and give yourself both a mental and physical reset.”

Results also revealed that even when workers do take a break, they struggle to fully unplug.

On average, those polled admit they spend 61% of their lunch break glued to a device, such as their phone or laptop.

Instead of resting or reconnecting with nature, two in five (41%) are likely to scroll through social media, read (35%), respond to (37%) nonwork-related messages, and even take care of virtual life admin tasks, such as paying bills or scheduling appointments (31%).

Work also has a habit of bleeding into their personal time: 32% read work-related emails, 28% respond to them, and 25% leave their work computer active and open, even during what should be their time away from work.

Despite these digital distractions, the human craving for nature remains strong. Outside of the workday, most workers (67%) say they are actively prioritizing spending more time outdoors today than they did a few years ago.

And they’re already doing so by frequently getting outside to walk (67%), spend time with family and friends (49%), or care for their pets (38%).

“It’s encouraging to see that so many people are recognizing the benefits of taking their lunch break outside,” Thanavaro added. “Just taking a few minutes to change your scenery and get fresh air can make a world of difference. Our lunch breaks are the perfect time to not only nourish our bodies, but reset and reground ourselves – and nature has the incredible power to do that.”

Research methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 hybrid workers who have access to the internet; the survey was commissioned by Wild Planet and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between June 24 to July 2.