Sharing Meal With Co-Workers Boosts Productivity: Study

A big motivation for going to the office is sitting together with the team and sharing a meal together while you discuss work or the challenges one is facing. But did you know that eating with your colleagues is beneficial for your company too? A study titled ‘Groups that eat together perform better together’ submitted to Cornell Chronicle found that employees who eat their meals together may show a boost in productivity.

It is important to catch up on your meal while at the office, no matter how much the workload is. However, what works best is if you eat your meal with your colleagues or team. Even if it’s a slice of a cheesy pizza or cake, take some time to indulge. You may worry about your dietary habits and intake of too many calories, but you can always balance it out with healthy meals and exercises. Meal breaks are essential and are more than about nourishment. It is the only time of your work time, when you can step away from your laptop and constant calls, or meetings.

Here are a few perks of eating lunch together at the workplace instead of munching alone at your desk-

• It helps you take a break and relax your mind and body with no email or phone notifications pinging. You can focus on yourself and the food, instead of juggling work and food.
• Sitting down with the team will help you build social relationships which are an integral part of networking and socializing. Meal time is the golden opportunity to know your co-worker better, about their personalities, opinions, families, hobbies, and vacations among many others.
• When you sit together with your team every day, you make personal connections which makes working with them pleasant and more productive. This is the reason why companies have a cafeteria or dining space for their employees.
• You can use this time to get to know members of other teams, or you can sit with your boss. Make sure you stick to non-work topics.

It is true that post-pandemic the way we work has changed, but even today, if you have to work from the office, sharing a meal with your co-worker will make you more productive, and instead of showing hesitancy to return to work, you may witness a bigger impact than before.

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