Therapists don’t need reminders that burnout is a widespread concern in our field—but the data helps underscore the urgency. According to the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Practitioner Well-Being report, 57% indicated experiencing negative impacts because of work-related stress that are sometimes associated with workplace burnout.  That percentage may be even higher among therapists working in high-demand settings or private practice.

The roots of burnout are complex and often structural. But among the more overlooked contributors is an issue so routine it’s easy to dismiss: skipping lunch. Or rushing through it. Or eating it during documentation, in the car, or even between sessions.

Here’s the part that’s especially frustrating: we know better. We tell our clients to regulate their nervous systems. To prioritize rest and nourishment. We talk about boundaries and sustainable care. But when it comes to ourselves, we can often default to productivity over preservation.

But this isn’t about guilt. It’s about what happens when you reclaim just 30 minutes of your day, consistently, to stop, eat, and breathe. Taking that 30-minute lunch break—without distractions, without multitasking—is not simply a personal preference. It is a professional necessity.

Why 30 Minutes Matter

30 minutes is not a luxury, it’s a boundary. It just is enough time to pause, eat a complete and healthful meal, and reorient yourself before moving into the second half of the workday. That pause – both cognitive and physiological – can make a huge difference.

A 2023 Harvard Business Review survey found that brief, intentional lunch breaks during the workday improve sustained attention and reduce mental fatigue: with 51% reporting better focus, and 64% feeling more energetic. And while that may help you show up more clearly for your clients, it also matters because you matter. Eating a meal that nourishes you isn't just about professional performance—it's about honoring your basic needs as a human being. You deserve a break, not because it makes you a better therapist, but because your body and brain are worth caring for, too. 

A 30-minute lunch is also a form of boundary-setting. It signals to yourself and to others that you have value and worth outside of productivity. Over time, these boundaries help maintain therapeutic effectiveness and protect against emotional exhaustion.

Mindful Eating Is Nervous System Work

This is where mindful eating becomes more than a buzzword. When you sit down—without your phone, without your inbox, without your EHR open—you’re telling your body that it’s safe to switch out of high-alert mode. That switch is critical. When you eat while stressed or distracted, your digestion can be compromised. The nervous system stays in a fight-or-flight state, slowing digestive processes and reducing blood flow to the gut. Elevated cortisol levels and a lack of mindful awareness can dull satiety cues, making it harder to feel nourished or restored—even after a full meal.

Mindful eating helps reverse that pattern.

In practice, this doesn’t mean turning your lunch into a silent meditation. Slowing down, even briefly, supports parasympathetic activation, which facilitates rest, digestion, and emotional regulation. While mindful eating can be approached in many ways, a few foundational practices include:

• Eating without screens
• Tuning into hunger and fullness cues
• Taking small pauses between bites
• Noticing texture, taste, and breath

This isn’t indulgent. It’s regulation. And for therapists whose daily work involves emotional containment and attunement, those benefits are especially important.

Cortisol, Burnout, and Nutrition

Let’s talk briefly about cortisol – the hormone behind your stress response.

Cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, plays an important role in short-term survival. But when chronically elevated – especially in the absence of adequate recovery – it contributes to burnout, mood dysregulation,and even reduced empathy and memory—none of which are helpful for therapists trying to hold space for others.

What you eat during your break actually matters. Nutrition cannot eliminate stress, but it can serve as a protective factor. Meals rich in whole foods—especially those containing complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, magnesium, B vitamins, and fiber—help reduce systemic inflammation and stabilize blood sugar, both of which impact cortisol levels. Foods like leafy greens, legumes, salmon, avocado, brown rice, and nuts all support stable energy and mood.

This doesn’t mean you need to prepare gourmet bowls every day. But it does mean that lunch should be more than granola bars and cold coffee. Try batch-cooking one or two meals a week and rotating them. Take a look below for some therapist-friendly lunch ideas, designed to be quick to prep, easy to digest, and rich in nutrients that help regulate cortisol and mood: 

🥗 Lentil + Greens Bowl

What’s in it: Cooked lentils, sautéed kale or spinach, roasted carrots, tahini-lemon dressing, a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds
Why it works: High in magnesium and fiber to support digestion and calm the nervous system

🐟 Salmon Salad Bowl

What’s in it: Canned or baked salmon, mixed greens, quinoa or farro, olive oil, lemon, chopped walnuts
Why it works: Omega-3s to help regulate mood and inflammation

🥑 Avocado Toast with Extras

What’s in it: Multigrain toast, smashed avocado, red pepper flakes, side of Greek yogurt with berries
Why it works: Complex carbs + healthy fat for satiety and blood sugar stability

🥣 “Everything Bowl”

What’s in it: Whatever’s in your fridge: leftover roasted veg, beans, rice, topped with a fried egg and hot sauce
Why it works: Zero fuss, uses up ingredients, satisfying and grounding

The goal is not perfection, it is consistency. Regular, nourishing meals function as both physiological support and an act of self-respect.

Protecting Your Lunch Break Is Ethical and Essential

Many clinicians experience guilt around taking breaks. We may feel that our time should be maximized for client care, or that stepping away is a form of negligence. Add to that the emotional weight of time spent away from family or personal life—especially when we’re already stretched thin—and it's easy to feel like every minute at work has to “count,” both in terms of productivity and profit. But the opposite is true..

When we protect our time for rest and nourishment, we model healthy boundaries. We reinforce the idea that therapeutic work is sustainable only when we ourselves are resourced. And we prevent the slow, cumulative erosion of our clinical capacity.

Practical strategies to protect your lunch break include:

• Blocking it off on your calendar as “unavailable”
• Using automated scheduling tools to make lunch non-bookable
• Letting clients know you don’t book sessions during that window
• Creating physical or digital cues to step away (e.g., phone on “Do Not Disturb,” closed laptop)

These are the boundaries to protect your reset button. It’s the distinction between sprinting through the day and pacing yourself through it.

You Deserve the Same Care You Extend to Others

Burnout does not always arrive in dramatic fashion. More often, it emerges slowly: through skipped meals, endless task-switching, and a subtle disconnection from our own needs.

Reclaiming a 30-minute lunch each day is not just a wellness suggestion. It is a foundational act of sustainability—one that signals to your body, mind, and practice that you are not just a container for others’ pain, but a whole person deserving of the same care you offer every day.

Take the whole 30 minutes. Eat the real food. Breathe between bites. And then go back to the work that matters—replenished, not running on empty.