A Different Kind of Lunch Inspo

No, I'm not going to give you lunch recipes, but I can if you'd like that (leave thoughts in the comments). This is a different kind of lunch inspo. I'm talking about the mind and how to use lunch to feed not just your body, but also your soul. 

One of my favorite lunches

For years I have been the consummate, always working, even during lunch, gal. Cut to two weeks ago when the office I'm in 3/5 days each week became freezing. While everyone else on our floor is sweating, we have somehow lucked out (or not) with a mini arctic tundra. Needing to warm up, I decided to take my lunch outside and sit in the park for a few minutes while I ate. 

Not the park where I eat lunch at work but a park where I have had lunch.

One outdoor lunch was all it took for me to get hooked. Those 15-20 minutes (I know, I should probably take longer but #work) change my day. Sitting in the sunlight (my office doesn't have external-facing windows) lifts my mood and warms me up, while getting physically away from my work environment allows me to actually enjoy my lunch. Rather than taking mindless bites as an afterthought to whatever project has my attention, I actually notice each bite and really taste my food. I people watch, sometimes making conversation with someone on a neighboring bench, and remember that there is a whole world around me. Whatever I'm working on or stressing about is important, but it's not all there is; in other words, coming outside helps me find balance. I'm not sure what I'll do when it rains or when the polar vortex returns in winter, but I'm determined to preserve this newfound routine. 

Are you a working luncher? Any tips for bad-weather lunch locations?