7 Reasons to Share Your Meal

A study from the University of Oxford reveals a simple yet profound truth: sharing meals with others significantly uplifts your spirit and enhances your overall satisfaction with life. 

Kin Khaw Yang?

"Kin Khaw Yang?" ("Have you eaten yet?")—this question echoes around me multiple times a day, a testament to the Thai love affair with food. It's not just an obsession; it's a culture. Within our team, if there is one document that never misses an audience, it is the monthly menu of our associate restaurant. The menu plan captivates the entire team's attention every month without exception. 

Why are dining and sharing meals so significant here, and what are the 7 compelling reasons to gather to eat together?

1. You Build Social Connections

2. You Are Happier

3. Your Perform Better

4. You Are Less Stressed

5. You Show Graciousness

6. You Are More Creative

7.  You Can Taste Multiple Dishes 

Let's find out!

Reason 1: You Build Social Connections

Is there a better way to feel seen and like you belong than sitting down and sharing a meal? 

In a world that never stops buzzing, vibrating, and ringing with notifications, there's something almost rebellious about deciding to hit pause. To mute your phone, keep it in your pocket and look up into the eyes of the people you're about to share a meal with. That's the magic of eating together. It's not just about the food. It's about creating a bubble where the only thing that matters is the here and now. 

In this bubble, you're building bridges to lasting friendships and connections. 

Reason 2: You Are Happier

You will be happier if you eat with others.

Studies from the University of Oxford unveil a fascinating truth: the more you share meals with others, the happier and more satisfied you will feel with your life. This insight comes from sifting through data from a nationwide survey by The Big Lunch in the U.K., aimed at exploring the links between communal dining and its impact on our wellbeing. It turns out that coming together around a table does more than feed our bodies—it feeds our souls and bolsters our happiness.

Yet, despite the clear benefits of communal dining, the reality for many is quite different. 

Busy lifestyles and demanding schedules have led to increased solitary dining experiences, often sidelining the opportunity for shared meals. It's not just about finding the time—it's also about finding someone to share that time with. And when people or families manage to gather around the table, the competition for attention is fierce, with mobile phones often winning over the chance to be fully present with one another. 

Regularly sharing meals with others and focusing on the conversations and moments at the table will make you happy and contribute to your well-being.

It's a fact. 

Reason 3: Your Perform Better

You will achieve more if you eat with others. 

Research from Cornell University highlights an intriguing case study within the world of firefighters: teams of firefighters who eat meals together showcase significantly better group job performance compared to their counterparts who dine alone. 

The reasons behind the positive impact of communal dining, especially in high-stress professions like firefighting, boil down to several key factors:

• Fosters a Sense of Camaraderie:  Camaraderie is essential in professions requiring teamwork in high-pressure environments.

• Provides an Informal Setting to Get to Know Each Other: Meal time provides an informal setting for team members to learn about each other's backgrounds, interests, and personalities.

• Promotes Open Communication: Dining together removes the hierarchical structures often defining workplace interactions.

• Provides a Comfortable Setting to Express Ideas and Feedback: A shared meal's casual environment encourages more open and honest communication. 

Gathering with family, friends, or coworkers turns ordinary moments into opportunities to deepen bonds, boost teamwork, and elevate our wellbeing. 

Next time you dine, enjoy the meal and the togetherness it brings.

Reason 4: You Are Less Stressed

Sharing a meal with others is a nudge to slow down, relax, and truly take a moment for ourselves.

Gathering for a meal with colleagues, friends, or family acts as a natural stress reliever. It's a pause button in the rush of daily life, creating space to unwind and appreciate the joy of each other's presence. When you immerse yourself in the shared dining experience, you enjoy the meal more and slow down, resulting in reduced levels. Eating with others naturally encourages slowing down. 

Sharing meals at the dinner table, fully present and mindful with others, fosters relaxation and diminishes stress.

Reason 5: You Show Graciousness

Want to give off a vibe of being rude and self-centred? Go ahead and order a meal just for yourself.

In Thailand, it doesn't matter if you're sitting in a cosy rural home, gathered around a buzzing street food stall, or nestled into the corner of a vibrant restaurant — in Thailand, meals are a communal affair. Thai culture strongly emphasises harmony and unity within social interactions, viewing food sharing as a key means to cultivate these values. Choosing dishes that everyone can dig into together and passing plates around in a seamless dance of give and take isn't just about eating; it's a celebration of togetherness. 

Dining together transcends the basic need to satisfy hunger. It's an opportunity to practice graciousness.

Reason 6: You Are More Creative

Picture yourself sitting down to a meal with your team. 

The ambience is relaxed, the conversation flows, and the only agenda is to enjoy the moment and the dishes in front of you. It's in these unscripted gatherings that creativity begins to spark. Ideas bounce freely from one person to the next, unencumbered by the formalities of meeting rooms and formal settings. The casual exchanges plant the seeds of the next big breakthrough. 

Dining together is not just a break from work; it's a fertile ground for creativity, where the next innovative idea might be hidden in the conversation between the main courses and the dessert. 

Reason 7: You Can Taste Multiple Dishes 

You're entitled to a feast, not just a single dish.

In Thailand, dining is enjoyed family-style. Instead of everyone picking their dishes, one person usually takes the lead—sometimes it's the one footing the bill, other times a respected elder, or more often than not, the food enthusiast among the group. 

So, why confine yourself to the solitary journey of a single dish when the shared experience of dining together invites you to a feast of flavors? 

That's it! 7 Compelling Reasons to Share Your Meals. 

About GraciousCulture
Valuable and inspirational content on the art of gracious hospitality, service excellence, and gracious leadership, inspired by Thailand, the "Land of Smiles".

About this Newsletter
"Graciousness Note" plunges into the heart of Thai culture, offering you regular insights into the world of gracious hospitality, service excellence, and gracious leadership principles. This newsletter is an invitation to weave Thailand's rich traditions and warmth into your personal and professional life, transforming how you interact with the world.