Have You Eaten Today? - Lori Ann King

Recently, I finished a hot BikYasa yoga class and came home thinking I might take a nap.

But then a text came in from a friend confirming a tea date a bit earlier than I’d expected.

Nap or tea with a friend? Both are forms of self-care. Rest matters. But so does connection. In that moment, her company felt like the wiser choice.

The nap could wait.

Sometimes kindness toward ourselves is simply choosing what will nourish us most in the moment.

That thought took me back to a small moment from years ago.

When I was in my twenties, I worked at a credit union. There was a woman named Linda whom I didn’t work directly with, but we were always friendly when we passed in the halls.

One day, the conversation lasted a little longer than usual. She mentioned that sometimes her days got so busy she forgot to eat lunch.

That stuck with me.

So we made a small deal. From then on, whenever we passed each other in the hallway, instead of saying “How are you?” I would ask, “Have you eaten today?”

It became our little check-in. A gentle reminder to pause and take care of herself. To guard her lunch hour. To remember that stepping away to refuel her body and mind would serve her far better than pushing through another busy day.

Fast forward more decades than I care to count, and life looks very different.

I no longer pass colleagues in hallways. Much of my work happens through screens and scheduled meetings, often across time zones and busy calendars. If we’re not intentional, the day fills up quickly, and basic things like lunch or a walk outside can quietly disappear.

At one point, I encouraged my small but mighty team to block off their lunch breaks on their calendars. Otherwise, I warned them, it would get stolen.

I’ve had to learn to take my own advice.

That same team often talked about movement and exercise and how important they are for our well-being. Some loved Pilates or kickboxing. Others made time for the gym before or after work. My bike rides were part of that rhythm, too.

As a form of encouragement and sometimes accountability, we would ask each other how class was or how the ride went. When I knew someone was trying to leave work on time for something important, whether it be a class, a family commitment, a moment that mattered, I tried not to schedule meetings during that time.

It was a small accommodation on my part.

But small things can have a big impact.

This year, my work has shifted in an interesting way. After years focused on the task-oriented side of marketing, I’ve been spending more time in what I think of as the human side of work, I call Employee Experience.

Part of that has meant having one-on-one conversations with colleagues.

They’re simply check-ins.

After recently completing an employee survey, I expected most conversations would focus on communication, training, and development.

But that’s not really how the conversations have been unfolding.

Instead, each one is different.

Each person brings their own pressures, their own hopes, their own small challenges in balancing work and life.

Because each human being is unique.

What I’m learning, over and over again, is how powerful it can be to stay curious. To listen. To notice the small things that matter to someone else.

And perhaps most of all, to practice kindness in simple ways.

Holding space for someone. Remembering what’s important to them. Offering a small moment of care in the middle of a busy day.

Sometimes it’s making sure a meeting doesn’t run into someone’s yoga class.

Sometimes it’s asking how their child’s soccer game went.

And sometimes it’s a quiet question that stays with you for years.

Have you eaten today?

Because small reminders to take care of ourselves and each other can mean more than we realize.

And sometimes the kindness goes both ways.

Some days, it looks like choosing tea with a friend over a nap.

The nap can wait.

Have you eaten today?