Loneliness is now a public health concern.

Do you believe that there is a link between your work relationships and eating a meal together?

“Eating together is a more intimate act than looking over an Excel spreadsheet together. That intimacy spills back over into work,” said the Kevin Kniffin, visiting assistant professor in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management in a study about groups that eat together and performance together. It’s a glue that helps random people build teams that work efficiently. This also applies to your family and your friends.  Eating a meal together is an intimate time where life is shared.  Deep bonds, times of sharing, and even laughter knit people to dine together closer. There are emotional and physical benefits of eating a meal together. These connections help with self-esteem, conflict resolution, a sense of belonging and overall health.  Eating meals together is just one form of building relationships and meaningful connections.

Connection is so important the Vivek Murthy, the current US Surgeon General who is the co-chair on a new commission from WHO (November 2023) to address loneliness and the present health threat.

“High rates of social isolation and loneliness around the world have serious consequences for health and well-being. People without enough strong social connections are at higher risk of stroke, anxiety, dementia, depression, suicide and more,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “This WHO Commission will help establish social connection as a global health priority and share the most promising interventions.”

I have read several articles from different sources that all highlight the need for connection as one of the foundational behaviors’ humans need to well-being and health. 

The World Health Organization also stated, (The) “Lack of social connection carries an equivalent, or even greater, risk of early death as other better-known risk factors – such as smoking, excessive drinking, physical inactivity, obesity, and air pollution. Social isolation also has a serious impact on physical and mental health; studies show that it has been linked to anxiety and depression and can increase risk of cardiovascular disease by 30%.”

If you’d like to learn more about building connections and have easy tips grounded in scientific research delivered to your inbox, I’d love to have you join my February Connect 4…Your Health challenges.  There are simple and fun suggestions to deepen relationships and, on the side, improve your health!

I’d love to hear how you connect or share with you easy steps to foster relationships and deepen connections.