With most of us working remotely, it’s easy to slip into the habit of having lunch at your desk and not taking well-deserved breaks.
But no matter how busy our schedules get, for a few years now, everyone at Intechnica has had a daily block in their calendar called “The Golden Hour”.
Each day, the time between 12:30 and 13:30 is off-limits for meetings, and it’s a chance for the team to run errands, go out for a stroll, or meet a friend for coffee without having to worry about being available. It gives us the flexibility and freedom to prioritise lunch and take care of other things that are important in life.
Recently, we asked the team how they like to spend their Golden Hour, read on to find out what they had to say!
Some take the opportunity to stretch their legs
Getting outdoors during the long working day provides many benefits, a study actually found that getting outside for as little as 29 minutes can improve productivity by 45% as well boosting your mood. It not surprising that many employees are realising the importance of seeking fresh air during the working day:
“Since I mainly work from home, I like to use this hour to do some exercise, whether this be a walk, run or Pilates, I think it’s great were given this time to take a break from work and enjoy the daylight hours, especially in the winter!”
“I workout at home or brisk walking.”
“I usually go for a walk and get some fresh air, its great having a reason to step away from the screen and get some sunlight.”
“A walk down the canal when the weather is nice, if not then I’ll spend the time watching TV or YouTube.”
“Especially now it gets dark early, I’ve been spending my golden hour going on walks with a great podcast. Although people have different schedules, it’s great that there’s a sacred hour that is the same for everyone. It encourages you to break up your day and not to eat lunch at your desk!”
“I go out for a walk, run some errands, catch up on TV, grab a coffee with a friend.”
Playtime with pets
Others like to spend time with their pets. We often think that we’re the ones looking after our pets, but sometimes it’s quite simply the opposite – they look after us! Golden Hour offers ample opportunity to give our pets the quality time they deserve. Here are some quotes from the team:
“I go for a dog walk, maybe do some house chores or prep dinner for the evening.”
“I hug my dog!”
“I walk Luna in the park outside my house. Sainsbury’s soup. Bit of housework if I have time.”
Catching up with colleagues
For those in the office, Golden Hour is a great opportunity to have a catch up with colleagues they might not have seen in a while. One of our team members echoed this:
“I eat lunch and socialise with my colleagues.”
Taking care of life admin
Life admin – the office work of life can often be a chore. Fitting in important tasks around work can prove to be difficult, so having the increased flexibility benefits many of us. Here’s what one of our team members had to say:
“Generally, I have lunch! But I also have a weekly medical appointment and it’s really handy to know in advance exactly when I’m able to schedule things like that, knowing that it won’t be disruptive. Same goes for very occasional things like PTA meetings, vet appointments, etc… all the ‘life stuff’ that needs to happen during work hours.”
We should value lunchtime and make it a priority in our day. Golden Hour ensures that everybody at Intechnica gets a sacred hour during the day – whether that be to help with life admin or just take a well-earned break.
Want to know more about what it’s like to work at Intechnica? Explore our careers page.
