Love After Lunch?

Why do we like to have lunch together?

If you are at work and in the early stages of courtship, lunch is a good way to go.

Scientists support the idea that in courtship scenarios getting together over a meal is a very good idea as it reduces our anxiety: our parasympathetic nervous system switches to rest-and-digest.

On the other hand, sharing lunch offers a great excuse for couples to sit together and have a light conversation while they are allowed to get a bit distracted by what they are eating. Eating together is less stressful than conversing without the shared focus of utensils, food, and drink.

Because lunch takes place during the day this provides a good venue for the early exchange of love signals providing a relaxed and calm environment.

Sharing lunch also makes us feel alike because we are “doing the same thing." When we share an activity with somebody our bond gets stronger and it contributes to building rapport. This is specially powerful in courtship. “Mimicking the postures and movements of others facilitates interaction and increases liking.” (Chartrand and Bargh 1999)

Office rituals inevitably involve eating and drinking together. Food consumption non verbally brings co-workers and staff closer together. It is a good team building activity.

Reference: The Nonverbal Dictionary of Gestures, signs & Body Language Cues, By David B. Givens, © 2002 (Spokane, Washington: Center for Nonverbal Studies Press)