mental health
We should take the time again for this mental health hack
Eating together is good for mental health – and a full body
© Drobot Dean / Adobe Stock
In the stressful everyday life, it all gets lost all too quickly, and a study shows that eating together is simply good for our mental health.
In everyday life, it’s a minor annoyance for some: the feeling of hunger that comes up around noon at the latest. Between meetings, presentations and deadlines, the lunch break is rarely really convenient for us. So it’s tempting to snack on a frozen meal with your laptop open – or, in the worst case, skip lunch altogether.
This isn’t just bad for our bodies and minds, both of which need nutrients to function. It is also not good for our mental health to regularly skip such an important ritual as eating together. That also shows one current study the American Heart Association (AHA).
For mental health: Majority would like to eat together more often
Of the 1,000 respondents, the majority (84 percent) would like to eat more often with their loved ones. No wonder, since more than half of the participants (67 percent) expect a lot from this: They believe that a dinner together reminds them how important it is to exchange ideas with other people. After years of pandemic, contact restrictions and working from home, it is hardly surprising that many people have lost sight of this connection.
Just under half (54 percent) of the study also said it reminded them to slow down and take a break. And that would (not only) be good for those surveyed: Almost two thirds (65 percent) describe themselves as at least latently stressed, more than a quarter (27 percent) would even describe themselves as very stressed. And almost every seventh person thinks that eating a meal together would ensure that he:she would breathe deeply more often. So what is holding us back?
Families in particular benefit from having dinner together
“Eating a meal together is a great way to reduce stress, boost self-esteem and strengthen social connection, especially for children,” said Erin Michos, associate director of preventive cardiology at Johns Hopkins University. So it’s no wonder that 91 percent of parents in the study said they would like to eat with their family more often. But all too often the busy schedules of everyone involved mean that meals are missed. “We realize that getting people together to eat together is not that easy. As with other habits that are good for your health, it makes sense to start small,” advises Michos.
For example, you can plan to meet your loved ones, children, colleagues for dinner once a week. In the digital age, it doesn’t necessarily have to be live on site either – why not use a video call with a dear colleague for a dinner date instead of a meeting that’s just about work? What could be nicer and cozier than being surrounded by loved ones, eating well and chatting about all sorts of things? We all deserve this and it’s best to start today!
Source used: newsroom.heart.org