There are not enough hours in the day to get all of the work done...so who has time to go out for lunch? Are any of us shocked to hear that the midday meal has moved away from being an actual break? Nope. It’s now all about getting all the nutrients we need to get us through the rest of the workday inside us as quickly as possible.
But a recent paper from evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar says lunch is about so much more. The noon trip to some restaurant is going extinct and even though we’re still addressing our nutritional needs, we’re not quenching our thirst for social interaction.And we’re thirsty species, for sure.
When we want to connect with others, we eat and we drink with them. When you get together with friends, what do you do? Eat. When you go home for the holidays, what do you and your family do? Eat. Heck, cavemen probably split a rack of Mastadon ribs together.
- If you’re feeling lonely, it might be time to look at your bagged lunch as the enemy. Consider this: A recent survey found eating meals with others made people feel better about themselves, have a higher level of overall life satisfaction, and expanded their social support network.
- But if you legitimately can’t leave the office due to your work, at least go out after hours. In fact, most of the positives from shared meals get a boost if eaten in the evening...add a little vino for some added vavoom.
Source:Psychology Today