Today, we celebrate Roald Dahl’s birthday!
Roald Dahl Day has officially been celebrated since 2006, but his novels have been enjoyed the world over by young and the young-at-heart alike since his first children’s book, The Gremlins, was published in 1943.
The critically acclaimed author as sold over 250 million copies of his works worldwide: Championing the kind-hearted underdog, the warm-hearted sentiments of many of the protagonists, and the triumph of good over villainous antagonists. His stories have had generations of fans enter imaginative worlds outside of their own reality, and telling a story of fascination and wonder that lead to uplifting emotions and light-hearted escapism.
More famous titles include:
- James and the Giant Peach (1961)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964)
- Fantastic Mr Fox (1970)
- Danny, the Campion of the World (1976)
- The Twits (1980
- The BFG (1982)
- Matilda (1988)
- Esio Trot (1990)
“Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it’s unbelievable…” ~ Matilda
While we don’t condone going “completely crazy” within your workspace, the sentiment to not doing anything by half measure and giving it your all resonates with finding balance and happiness in your workday.
This then leads to the question of how you spend your lunch hour?
Do you work through your lunch break? Eating at your desk just to get more time to get through that ever-growing task list?
60 minutes. That’s it. 60 minutes of downtime in your work day is all you need to refocus, rejuvenate, refresh and de-stress – and ultimately, when you do get back to your work day after this lunch break, that to-do-list that seemed incredibly daunting prior, may not seem as much of a mountain to climb.
How do you achieve this though?
Well this is where we have some options for you:
1. Leave your desk, and the office, and have lunch outside
If this is by yourself or with a friend, plan a lunch date away from the confides of the work walls, or your home office, and remind yourself that there is life outside of work, and that we can find that balance.
2. Find a quiet spot and meditate
This may sound somewhat “new age-y” but more and more corporations are encouraging lunchtime yoga sessions, relaxation time and quite sessions to rejuvenate and revitalise mental wellbeing of its employees.
If your office doesn’t offer these, YouTube has a range of video options, or if anything, that meeting room which you know won’t be occupied during the lunch hour:
- Book the meeting room
- Dim the lights
- Close your eyes
- And breathe
3. Outdoor fitness fun
Embrace a sunny day, and step outside for an exercise session with colleagues or friends. This doesn’t have to be a full on sweat session if shower facilities aren’t available. It could just involve a walk around the area, getting some fresh air and making sure that that step count on your favourite fitness app is on target for the day.
4. Step into the Internet of Things world
Sometimes physically stepping away from your desk doesn’t need to happen to give your brain a breather. Simply “switching off” could mean switching up your browser history to that of websites, podcasts, social media channels and videos that are not work-related. Catch up on the daily news, watch funny cat videos, or even look at house decorating tips, sometimes getting lost in the big world wide web can provide a much-needed break.
5. Escape into a good book
If today, on this, Roald Dahl’s birthday, has taught us one thing, is that the escapement into the world of a good book is one that will transport your mind, body and soul into a fictional (or non-fictional, if that’s your preference) tale. 60 minutes of “me-time” to delve into an entirely different world of thinking – emotionally and mentally engaged with characters and scenarios outside of your present reality.
To you Roald Dahl, happy birthday, and thank you for providing us with the material that has contributed to our wellbeing in the workplace.
…But just remember, 60 minutes. Don’t get too lost in the literary world and miss that important meeting!
