1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 1: tip is to invite people to share meals with you. 4 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 1: You have to eat, so you may as well use 5 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: the opportunity to connect. An essay in the most recent 6 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: World Happiness Report claimed that sharing meals with others is 7 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: related to subjective well being and that people who share 8 00:00:38,159 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: meals with others have higher levels of life satisfaction and 9 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: positive effect. But according to the essay, we're sharing meals 10 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: with others less frequently than we used to. The American 11 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: Time You survey finds that one in four Americans reported 12 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: eating all their meals alone the previous day, up three 13 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: percent since two thousand and three. If people who eat 14 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: together tend to be happier, and fewer Americans are eating 15 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,119 Speaker 1: together these days, no wonder a lot of people report 16 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: being unhappy or disconnected. Now, to be sure, it's not 17 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: absolutely certain what direction that association goes. Perhaps when people 18 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: are unhappy, no one wants to eat with them, and 19 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: so it's not the shared meal that's causing happiness. But 20 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 1: it's also pretty easy to share meals with people. And 21 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,680 Speaker 1: given that you have to eat. You might use meals 22 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,559 Speaker 1: as an occasion to bring more people into your life regularly. 23 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: In most cases, you and they will be happy that 24 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: you did. For instance, maybe your elderly neighbor or the 25 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: college student who rents the house next years might want 26 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: to join your family for dinner some night. It doesn't 27 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: have to be a fancy dinner party. My guess is 28 00:01:57,480 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: that they would be absolutely fine with the same posts 29 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: you are feeding your kids. Your work friend might be 30 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: happy to stop by after work to have pizza with 31 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: your family. Your yoga buddy might like to stop by 32 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: your house after class on Saturday for coffee and muffins. 33 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: Or you might build in something more regular. I know 34 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: some people who have potluck dinners on Sundays for friends 35 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: that become a major source of joy in their lives. 36 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 1: Everyone brings a dish and has something fun to look 37 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 1: forward to on Sunday evening, which wards off the Sunday 38 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: scarries for a few more hours. If you are on 39 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 1: the receiving end of invitations, well, don't hesitate to accept. 40 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: Sure there will be moments of awkwardness and you might 41 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,119 Speaker 1: have to suspend your healthy eating practices for a night, 42 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 1: but the boosting connection and happiness may be worth it. 43 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: Even at work, you can regularly share meals with others. 44 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:00,679 Speaker 1: If your office has a culture where some people eat 45 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: together in the breakroom or cafeteria, try to join in. 46 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 1: Can I join you works perfectly fine as an opening line. 47 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: Hopefully this is not the middle school cafeteria where this 48 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: would be an issue, and if your office doesn't have 49 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: that culture, you could try starting it. This could be 50 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: as simple as sending a Slack or team's message saying 51 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: you will be eating your lunch in ten minutes in 52 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: the breakroom and inviting colleagues to join you. See who comes. 53 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: If you have a good conversation, you can do it 54 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:36,160 Speaker 1: again and have others join you the next time. It 55 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: will grow, It will become a thing, and work will 56 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: start being a lot more fun. We all have to 57 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: eat and we need to connect, so inviting other people 58 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: to join you at the table can be a natural 59 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: and meaningful way to take any day from great to awesome. 60 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 61 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for 62 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: listening to before breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 63 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: You can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 64 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 65 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 66 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.