Fewer Americans these days take time out of their busy day to step away from their desk and take a lunch break. Research has found that only about one in five people take a true lunch break in today’s world. Instead, they just eat at their desk in order to continue working. The results of this are explored in the article “We’re Not Taking Enough Lunch Breaks. Why That’s Bad For Business”. What it basically comes down to is that creativity can be lost sitting at a desk for an entire work day.
According to Kimberly Elsbach, a professor at the University of California who also studies work place psychology, innovation and creative thinking happens when people change their environment. She states that even more benefits can occur if people expose themselves to a naturalist environment. Sitting at the same desk everyday is a far cry from spending some time outdoors. So, why aren’t people taking advantage of their lunch breaks? Some people may be reluctant to leave their desks because they fear that they might miss something important. In some job places, breaks are not even mandated.
I think that this could play a factor into our class discussion on what it takes to care about the material taught in the classroom. We have the same exact class schedule for an entire semester. We are taught in the same exact classrooms. We sit in the same exact seats everyday. We typically interact with the same exact people in all of our classes. This is a lot of monotony and not a lot of new stimuli for our brains. Our creativity is harmed in the classroom because we know what to expect. There are never any surprises. We simply sit and learn. We never get a “lunch break” to help us see an idea in a new perspective. Something as simple as taking a walk in the middle of class is able to boost our creativity. Most teachers would never allow that because it takes away from precious class time. But who knows, maybe it will actually improve success in the classroom.
Food Carts, Farms, and Freddy's: Thinking about Eating in Portland 
I totally agree with this argument. Sitting at a desk all day is completely mind numbing and turns us into robots. It is the same basic principle as when we study for a big test. If we sit and study straight for hours on end then we begin to shut our brains down to the subject. However, if we step back and go outside and get exercise or take our mind off of the subject, I have found that this helps me refocus and learn much better when I come back to studying for the test. I wish very much that teachers would have some kind of getting up and moving around activity in the middle of class to wake us all up and get focused again. I makes sense to me.
I find it very interesting that so many Americans don’t take time out of their days for a lunch break. I have a hard time sitting through a class in the same room with the same people multiple times a week and that less that 2 hours at a time. However, one reason for this is that many of these people believe that if they don’t eat they will lose weight. This however is not true, because by not eating when they’re hungry they are holding onto extra fat in their body.
I wholeheartedly agree with you! I am constantly hungry, so I cannot imagine what it would be like if I decided that I was too busy to eat. It is no surprise that students have a hard time sitting in class when it is completely boring. One reason that boredom takes over the classroom is that the environment is the same as it always is. If teachers would put together fun activity, students would be less likely to zone out. If the activities have to do with yummy food, then that is even better!
I completely agree! I get very restless if I have to sit still for hours on end. I find myself not paying attention in class sometimes if I have to stay in one spot forever. I just had a big test, and while studying I found myself walking around to clear my head. It was a nice break, and I felt like I got a lot more studying done because of it. Even though I was away from my work for a bit, I was more productive. It amazes me that people don’t take breaks in their busy life. My brain would turn into mush.