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Three Reasons Why Lunch is the Most Important Meal of the Day
By: Jonathan Zendeh Del

Hypo: It’s Thursday at 11:30 a.m., and you have deadline on Friday at 5 p.m. Your managing partner just emailed you and asked about the status of the brief you’re working on. You’re getting there, maybe even almost done.  Lunch time rolls around and you’ve got a decision to make: work through lunch or take a break and go eat.  We are young lawyers. We’re busy. I get it, but you still have to eat! Here’s why my firm considers lunch the most important meal of the day:

1.  Humans must eat. Studies show that eating lunch improves productivity. In fact, skipping lunch can drop your glucose levels, which can, in turn, hamper your productivity all afternoon. Eating foods like fish, nuts, fruits, whole grains, and chocolate (yes, chocolate) can help you sustain energy and increase productivity in the afternoon.

2.  Taking a break from work is important.  Again, I know, we’re busy. Time is money for lawyers.  But taking a break can help prevent burnout, which is a very real problem in the legal field. A lunch break gives your brain time to refresh and recharge.  I often find some of my best work happens after taking a break. I come back refreshed and ready to tackle the afternoon.

3.  Lunches are great networking tools.  They are good for business, both maintaining relationships and developing new ones. I make it a point to eat lunch out at least three times each week with other members of the community. Sometimes it’s with a co-counsel on a case, and other times it’s with an opposing counsel.  Sometimes it’s with a local business owner.  Sometimes it’s with a college student who has questions about the legal profession. Lunches are casual settings and enable you to have a shared experience with your companion. You can really connect with someone over a lunch. Lunch meetings have brought me everything from great cases to advise on business decisions, and even advice from other lawyers on how to deal with that difficult client or case.

At my firm, we believe lunch plays an important role in the development of your legal career.  Do yourself a favor and take a lunch break!

Jonathan Zendeh Del is the managing attorney at Zendeh Del & Associates, PLLC in Galveston, Texas where he practices personal injury and criminal defense.  He can be reached at (409) 740-1111.