The Ancient Mental Health Hack No One Has Time For

"A recent American Heart Association (AHA) survey shows that people report feeling less stressed when they share meals with people they love and care about. This probably isn't surprising.

Humans have been doing this since the dawn of our history, and shared meals are a facet of every Homo sapiens culture on earth. Despite its mental health upsides, many people don't make time for this age-old activity. This post takes a closer look at why sharing meals helps lower our stress levels—and how those of us who don't prioritize it can still reap its benefits.

Sharing Meals Allows Us to Take a Break. Dining with people whose company we enjoy helps build pauses into our hectic days. Such pauses are critical to ensuring we can make it through each week without inching toward burnout. Engaging conversation, nourishing our bodies, and shifting our focus off all that needs our attention away from the table helps center us.

Sharing Meals Helps Us Be Present. Communal meals give us an excuse to unplug from devices and be present with those around us—if that is, we actually institute a no-device rule at the table.

Sharing Meals Helps Us Make Healthier Food Choices. AHA survey participants noted that eating with others makes them more likely to choose healthy food.

Sharing Meals Fosters Connectedness. Connectedness with others (“relatedness” in Self-Determination Theory) is a fundamental human need, alongside autonomy and competence. Those among us who feel more connected tend to display fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety as well as higher self-esteem, cooperativeness, empathy, and the ability to trust other people—sharing meals with people whose company we enjoy can make us feel more like a part of a family, friend, or other social group.

The point is to utilize shared consumption as an occasion to unplug, pause, focus on who and what's in front of you, and experience the stress-reducing power of connection—even if such occasions last less than 30 minutes. Little moments like these can substantially impact our mental health and stress levels. No matter how imperfect they may be."

*We are so busy in our society today that we never have time to eat with our loved ones at dinner time. I know personally that my family and I almost never eat together. We all work different schedules, so it's almost impossible. I can understand the benefits of eating together and enjoying each other's company because it allows us to talk about our days, unplug from the electronics, and just enjoy each others' company. Do you eat dinner with your family every night? If so, what do you enjoy most about it? If not, what can you do to try and spend more time with your family at other times?*

#FamilyDinner #DinnerTime #Socialization

Please find the full article at Psychology Today.