Sharing a meal with friends, family lowers stress levels, survey finds

Sitting down for a meal together lowered their family’s stress level, according to 91% of parents who responded to a nationwide survey by the American Heart Association.

Of the 1,000 adults who participated, about half said they eat alone because of scheduling issues, and 84% said they wish they could share a meal more often with loved ones.

“Sharing meals with others is a great way to reduces stress, boost self-esteem and improve social connection, particularly for kids,” said Erin Michos, M.D, M.H.S, American Heart Association volunteer, associate director of preventive cardiology at Johns Hopkins and a co-author of the American Heart Association’s statement on Psychological Health, Well-being, and the Mind-HeartBody

Connection. “Chronic, constant stress can also increase your lifetime risk of heart disease and stroke, so it is important for people to find ways to reduce and manage stress as much as possible, as soon as possible.”

Participants said it’s not just family they wanted to see across the table. Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) respondents said they would feel less stressed at work if they could take a break or eat lunch with a co-worker.

“We know it’s not always as easy as it sounds to get people together at mealtime. Like other healthy habits, give yourself permission to start small and build from there,” Michos said. “Set a goal to gather friends, family or co-workers for one more meal together each week. If you can’t get together in person, think about how you can share a meal together over the phone or a computer.”