De-Stress at Work With a Lunchtime Nap

People may think you’re a little weird if you take a nap at work during your lunch break. Who cares? Do it anyway.

If you’re feeling stressed out during the first half of your day, one of the best things you can do to de-stress is take a twenty minute power nap. A short daytime nap can make you feel more relaxed, help improve your memory and cognitive ability, and give you an overall boost that can help you get through the rest of the day, according to several studies.

I nap during lunch all the time. There’s a room in our office inexplicably called “the A.V. room” – I think there was video camera stashed in there once, and maybe a copy of You Don’t Mess With the Zohan – where I like to hide and grab a few Zzzs during lunchtime. It’s a small room, but it’s perfect. There are a few comfortable ergonomic chairs in there, it’s pitch black when you shut off the lights, and no one ever walks in there. Now that I think about it, it may be my favorite place in the office.

The best place for an office dweller to take a lunchtime power nap, according to health writer Elizabeth Walling, is a lot like our A.V. Room – quiet, dark and comfortable. Sadly, not everyone has a private place in the office where they can go during lunch to get a little snooze in, but that’s OK. One of the most important things you need to do to get a good nap in is get as comfortable as possible. Prop your feet up on your desk, maybe keep a pillow in your cubicle or office, and take full advantage of your office chair’s back recline adjustment.

If you’re having trouble dozing off at work while trying to take a nap, many health experts recommend taking deep, slow breaths and focusing on your breathing until you fall into a nice, light sleep. Or you could just pop in Don’t Mess With the Zohan, that seems to do the trick for me. And don't worry about snoring...It's probably gonna happen if you're a snorer, and there's not much you can do about it. But you probably won't care about the small amount of potential embarrassment when you realize how relaxed you feel after your nap.

Learn more about creating a comfortable, healthy office at TheHumanSolution.com.