Learn to love lunch
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 9th December 2024
A common saying is how ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’, but for those working long hours, lunchtime is crucial. In the current working world, employees are often likely to skip their midday meal – 40% more workers skipped their lunch break in 2023 compared to the previous year.[i]
Dentists, like other healthcare workers, often put the needs of their patients before their own, with 35% of dental practitioners unable to take breaks during the day to eat or drink.[ii] By focusing too much on work productivity, the current workforce is overlooking the value of rest and wellbeing.[iii] This can be detrimental to the practitioner’s health and their work results, reinforcing the necessity of a lunchbreak.
Promoting health
The concept of being well can comprise numerous factors: physical health and mental health, feeling happy and satisfied with life, having a sense of purpose, and managing stress effectively.[iv] Nutrition and a consistent diet are a crucial aspect to supporting these factors, providing the energy needed to get through the day. As the average employee spends one-third of the day in the workplace (or one-half of their time awake at work), sustaining the body with healthy food lowers the risk of exhaustion.iv
Working through lunch is also unhealthy as it can cause a deficiency in certain essential food groups. Research has shown that individuals who skipped a meal, like breakfast or lunch, did not fully compensate later in the day, leading to a negative net effect on total daily energy intake.[v] As some meals have a higher prevalence of food groups than others, such as dairy at breakfast or fruit at lunch, skipping them and not compensating for it later can impact health.v
Eating and drinking during a work break reduces mental fatigue, boosts brain function and promotes focus for longer periods.[vi] Seeing patient after patient may present a variety in the quality of their dental health, but the repetitive nature of examining the oral cavity and stooping in the dental chair can be physically and mentally draining. Taking the time to step back, stretch and eat a snack or lunch can provide the fuel needed to energise the body for the rest of the afternoon. This means returning to the practice room with a fresh perspective and a positive outlook, ensuring excellent treatments and communication for a better patient experience.
Beat burnout
Working throughout the day and neglecting food can lead to an exhaustive slump in productivity, impacting mood and increasing the chance of error. This may worsen the workload and lead to overtime, bringing dentists further towards the risk of burnout. Some of the warning signs of burnout include a lack of regular meals, working late or through lunchtimes, a lack of concentration, and chronic tiredness.[vii] A regular lunchbreak that incorporates healthy, energy-rich foods such as fruits, nuts or yoghurts, can remedy those warning signs, giving dentists a needed break that rejuvenates the body. A study of workers revealed that 48% feel less burned out when they eat lunch; a 26% increase from the previous year.v Similarly, over half also agree that lunch breaks help them focus and be more productive, making it an essential part of a dentist’s working day.[viii]
Socialising benefits
As well as the health benefits of eating lunch, another positive reason is for how a shared lunchbreak can enhance the atmosphere in the practice. Those who engage in social eating have reported feeling more socially and emotionally supported by their co-workers, building strong bonds that make them better at their jobs.viii Talking with another staff member over lunch can be a great way of escaping work for a short time, making friendly connections that turn the workforce into a productive and effective team.iv
Saving time
Improving efficiencies in the daily workload can ensure there is more time to comfortably take a break from work. Kiroku can help; as an automated AI system it can help dentists write their notes 60% faster. The Kiroku Co-Pilot is an exciting addition that listens to the appointment then transcribes the conversation in real-time. This transcription is used to automatically write the dental notes using the preferred, customised templates. The efficiency of this service allows dentists to streamline their workloads so that they can give more attention to both the patients and, through essential lunchbreaks, themselves.
Finding the time to take a lunchbreak is essential for the physical and mental health of dentists, as well as for the continuation of excellent treatments and a successful long-term career.
To find out more about Kiroku, or to start your free trial, please visit trykiroku.com
[i] Fortune. (n.d.). Stressed-out workers are skipping lunch—and forgoing their only chance to tame the chaos. [online] Available at: https://fortune.com/2024/03/06/stressed-out-workers-skipping-lunch-careers-health-well-being/.
[ii] New survey reveals impact of staff shortages on dental nurses’ wellbeing. (2023). BDJ Team, [online] 10(9), pp.5–5. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41407-023-2001-4.
[iii] Cording, J. (n.d.). New Survey Shows Many Workers Aren’t Taking A Lunch Break. [online] Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jesscording/2023/12/12/new-survey-shows-many-workers-arent-taking-a-lunch-break/.
[iv] Aleksandra Hyży, Jaworski, M., Cieślak, I., Gotlib-Małkowska, J. and Panczyk, M. (2023). Improving Eating Habits at the Office: An Umbrella Review of Nutritional Interventions. Nutrients, 15(24), pp.5072–5072. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15245072.
[v] Zeballos, E. and Todd, J.E. (2020). The effects of skipping a meal on daily energy intake and diet quality. Public Health Nutrition, [online] 23(18), pp.1–10. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980020000683.
[vi] Tan, J. (2021). Why Taking a Lunch Break Boosts Productivity, Mental Health Benefits | ThoughtFull. [online] Thoughtfull.world. Available at: https://www.thoughtfull.world/mental-health/why-taking-your-lunch-breaks-seriously-boosts-your-mental-health#:~:text=Our%20minds%20and%20bodies%20run [Accessed 17 Sep. 2024].
[vii] Bradley, N. (2018). 3 Tips to Avoid Dentist Burnout and Achieve a Healthy Work-Life Balance. Colgate, [online] Accessed via: https://www.colgateprofessional.com/dentist-resources/career-development/avoid-dentist-burnout#
[viii] Rao, D. (2024). Council Post: The Key To Workplace Productivity Isn’t Late Nights—It’s Lunch. Forbes. [online] 12 Aug. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/01/03/the-key-to-workplace-productivity-isnt-late-nights-its-lunch/ [Accessed 17 Sep. 2024].
