Lunch breaks are essential for office workers, since we all need to *recharge our batteries for our minds to function at their best. And more importantly, it’s the part of the day where we can enjoy some time to ourselves.
Normally, a lunch break lasts 60 minutes, which leaves around 40 minutes to spare after eating. And for a lot of Chinese, taking a nap seems to be the most popular way to set ourselves up for the rest of the day. Despite this, a recent China Youth Daily survey found that almost 60 percent of the country’s office workers are unable to enjoy a good nap during their lunch breaks.
If this applies to you, doing something else while allowing your mind to relax may be a good alternative. Take a look at our suggestions below.

1. Get in some fresh air and exercise
Going to a gym during lunchtime may sound more *fatiguing than relaxing, but it works for 24-year-old Wang Xiande, a programmer for an internet company in Beijing. And just like restarting a computer, Wang says exercise helps to refresh his brain.
Before allowing himself to eat, he’ll first visit the gym near his office, choosing to run on the *treadmill, do some *spinning on a bike or lift weights on the bench press. “It works especially if I feel depressed and anxious with work in the morning, giving myself a sense that at least I’ve accomplished something today,” he explained.
Zhou Yang, 25, a graphic designer for an advertising agency in Dalian, prefers taking a walk outside with colleagues after her meal. “A quick *dose of sunlight and fresh air is the perfect *elixir for me,” she said. “We always talk about something besides work along the way. It improves my mood.”

2. Keep your brain ticking over
Zhu Xiaojie, 26, is an accountant for an international school in Shanghai. She sees her break as an opportunity for some structured reading time. She started weekend classes in Japanese several months ago and now uses the time after eating to recite words and text from her lessons, saying this helps switch her mind to something she’s interested in while *banishing workplace blues.
Zhu also likes to stand while reciting words from her textbook, rather than sit still for 40 minutes. “This also promotes my *digestion and I never feel sleepy in the afternoon,” she explained.

3. Write the day away
Writing can clear up mental *clutter and releases emotions that often cannot be said out loud. Guo Li, 24, a translator at a translation agency in Hangzhou, writes about what is weighing on her heart or mind every day after lunch.
“Translating is not creative work, so I do need something to refresh myself during this gap at noon,” she said. Having no particular subject to write about, she usually write a diary, covering her last 24 hours of activities.
“Since working overtime at night is often the case and there’s nearly no time left before going to bed, using lunch time to write every day’s diary couldn’t be better for me,” she noted. “This gives my eyes a break from the screen, too.”