Forget the Perfect Lunch Break. Try the "Good Enough" One.

Trying to pack a spin class, errands, or elaborate meal into a lunch hour often fails. An executive coach explains why. People routinely overestimate their energy and time at midday, says Zoe Thomson, a former police officer turned coach. They also underestimate what their planned activity requires. "Unpredictable things happen," Thomson notes. A meeting that overruns by 10 minutes can ruin a tight 45-minute workout plan. Her advice is to think smaller. A plan to take a 10-minute walk and have a cup of tea is more likely to succeed. "If something urgent comes up, the 10-minute walk is still possible," she says. "And on a really good day you could walk four times around the block." The goal is a reliable small habit, not an ambitious routine that is quickly abandoned.