Taking a lunch break

I’m about to give you one of my best productivity recommendations and I apologise in advance if it seems really mundane.

Take a proper lunch break every day.

And, by “proper” I mean to preferably get out of the office, go for a walk and don’t think about dentistry for at least half an hour.

In many offices I see the dentist running around from the start of the day to the end of the day. If they get lunch at all it is only a couple of sandwiches as they enter patient notes on the computer.

That constant activity does not give their brain time to rest and re-focus.

Among all the dentists who I have observed, the most efficient work with an intense focus. When they work, they WORK.

But, you can’t maintain an intense focus for 8 or 9 hours straight.

If you try to do that what will likely happen is that you will get into cruise mode where you are working sub-optimally.

I’m sure that you will get more done if you work in two shorter sessions with better focus than in one long session.

As a side benefit, you will feel less tired at the end of the day.

As a second side benefit, not using your lunch time for work will force you to complete your work in the time available or delegate — both desirable.

If you are not having a proper lunch break now, you really should try it.