I lost a bet and I have to eat lunch with you!

If you’re not doing this already, start it today. Don’t skip that lunch break no matter what. Don’t sit at your desk to work while eating. That’s the opposite of taking care of yourself, and a sure way for a dreadful and soon burnout. Make no exceptions. Bring no excuses.

Happiness expert and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Meik Wiking, reminds us to create rituals of food and fire; making time to eat, reclaiming our lunchtime and sitting with colleagues to enjoy eating our food slowly and with company. In his book “The Little book of Lykke: The Danish research for the world’s happinest people,” he advices to eat like the French. While most countries have official diet recommendations about how many portions of fruit and vegetables we should eat per day, one of the official recommendations in France is that we should eat with other people.

If you’re already eating with others during lunch and taking care of your physical and social self, try changing the rules. If you’re used to eating out daily, bring a lunchbox instead. Have the courage to sit with other people you’re not usually eating with. Call it an experiment. Tell them you lost a bet. Whatever you need to get moving around and getting new experiences and new perspectives.