May 25, 2015

It’s time to find your space!

Despite several campaigns to get us up and away from our desks for the full hour, it’s easier said than done. I’d love to go and learn Spanish in my lunch break, or spend half of it doing downward-facing dog, but it’s not feasible. Firstly, I don’t work next door to a yoga studio or language school and I don’t fancy spending half an hour speeding across London to get to one. Secondly, it can be expensive. Thirdly, sometimes you just need that hour to take some time out. As in, doing things that require little effort, thought or attention. We spend our mornings and afternoons going at 100 miles per hour through to-do lists, meetings, brainstorms and emails; lunchtime is a time to refuel both physically and mentally.

And all you really need for this is space. I used to go around Camden market, thriving on the hustle and bustle, enjoying the tourist gem before getting back to the office a little bit exhausted. Crowds, shouting and getting lost isn’t relaxing and it’s certainly not spacious. So recently I’ve been taking a left out of work instead and I’ve found my space.

It’s free, close by and, maybe most importantly, quiet. It’s not glamorous either; it’s Camden’s residential area. Beautiful, big old townhouses and flats for several streets. As well as giving me time out, I find it inspirational, too. Often these places are well-kept and stylish. For someone in South East London, it’s aspirational. Which means that when I’m walking past them I’m not only taking some time away from my screen and taking in much-needed fresh air, I’m actually getting a daily dose of motivation.

This lunchtime walk is a boost. It’s my carrot; something to walk towards, to aim for. Yours might be more natural – a walk in a park, a bench next to a river. (And, just a note here, if you really can’t get out at lunchtime, find a space that you can head to before you even get into the office, or somewhere you can wind-down post-work. Whatever works for you.)

Your first task is to find it, but don’t find it speed walking around your workplace neighbourhood, use this time to relax and let your mind and feet wander until one day you find a place that suits your needs. Just a short note though: as much as you think that a crowded high street suits your needs just fine and revitalises you for the afternoon, it won’t. Busy streets and crowds require attention which doesn’t allow your brain to switch off. Give it, and yourself, a break and find some real space.

Stephanie Bolton, Lifestyle Editor

Follow Stephanie on Twitter @StephanieBolton