Going out for lunch could ruin your day

If you are planning on going out for lunch today, don’t.

New research has suggested working through the lunch hour at your desk could potentially help you end your day feeling less tired.

According to a study by University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, socialising during lunch causes fatigue, and employees who are not pressured to spend lunch at their desks were more likely to have more energy come the end of the day.

During the survey, administrative employees were asked what they did during their lunch hour for 10 days, and their colleagues were asked to report on how tired the participating employees appeared at the end of the day.

“We found that a critical element was having the freedom to choose whether to do it or not,” associate professor and co-author of the study John Trugakos said in Live Science.

“The autonomy aspect helps to offset what we had traditionally thought was not a good way to spend break time.”

He added one reason lunch breaks with colleagues could be so exhausting is because conversations are likely to revolve around work, and people are still on guard about what they can and cannot say around their co-workers.

“You're hanging out with people who you can't necessarily kick back and be yourself with,” Trougakos said.