Why Eating Alone is so Bad for You (An International Day of Happiness Special)
Happy International Day of Happiness!
The 2025 World Happiness Report was just released today, and it contains a fascinating chapter on the connection between sharing meals with other people and happiness.
The research is clear—eating together boosts our happiness. But in our hectic lives, how do we make this happen? I spoke with Dr. Anne Fishel, co-founder of The Family Dinner Project at Harvard on The Happiness Lab on the episode, “Why Eating Alone is so Bad for You (An International Day of Happiness Special),” who offers these practical tips:
5 Ways to Share More Meals (Even When You're Super Busy)
Let Go of Perfection. Family dinner doesn't have to be the whole family sitting down for a home cooked meal. Some families adopt the simple rule "no one eats alone," allowing for flexible, staggered meals while maintaining connection. The average American dinner is only 22 minutes—but that's plenty!
Consider Different Meal Times. If dinner doesn't work for shared meal, try breakfast. Or consider family snack break or afternoon tea.
Swap Meals with Friends. Try meal swaps with friends or neighbors—you make a quadruple batch of one dish and exchange for three other meals. Anne has worked with military families who have perfected this technique during deployments, but anyone can benefit from this time-saving approach to varied, home-cooked meals.
Host an "Open Dinner" Night. Designate one night a week as an open dinner night when friends or neighbors know they can drop by. Anne says one single mother used this approach to create more lively dinner conversation for her children. The rules can be as simple as "Wednesday is open dinner night—bring your own leftovers to reheat!"
Give Yourself Some Grace. If you're currently eating most meals alone and the idea of sharing more meals seems overwhelming, please don't beat yourself up. Even sharing just one meal with another person is a meaningful step toward greater happiness. Be kind to yourself—each shared meal is a happiness-win worth celebrating.
Sharing more meals with others isn't always easy in our busy, independent lives. Work schedules clash, distances separate us, and sometimes the effort feels like one more thing on an already full plate. But perhaps that's precisely why it matters so much—creating these moments of connection requires intention in a world that often pulls us apart.
Take action today: Forward this newsletter to a friend with a simple message—"Want to share a meal soon?" Extending this invitation could be the first step toward more happiness for both of you.
With gratitude,
Dr. Laurie Santos
P.S. And yes, Scandinavia is still at the top of the report, with Finland ranking number one (surprise!). Interestingly, Costa Rica and Mexico made their way into the top 10. If you're curious about the methodology behind the report, economist Jan Emmanuel de Neve explains it all in this week’s episode—listen to our conversation here.