How Dining Out Improves Your Emotional Health

The average American dines out 4 nights per week—that’s over half of the week! Unfortunately, many of these “dining out” experiences are less than ideal—when you drive through a fast-food window, grab something from the deli at the grocery store, or have takeout delivered during your TV show binge, you are missing out on something important: Human interaction. Fortunately, visiting a great diner in NY is a perfect way to get your “face time” in!

When you actually visit a restaurant, you expose yourself to a variety of wonderful benefits. The first of which is to change up your scenery! While you may not feel up for going out after a long day, most research shows that people who get out more have more energy, not less, as many would expect. Further, you expose your brain to different sounds, smells, sights, and tastes, which works to “wake up” your brain and make it more active.

Not only are you getting more experiences when you dine out, you get another important feature that many people today are missing: Socialization. With social media at our fingers (or on our wrists, or in our pockets) all day, many people feel closer than ever… in fact, the opposite is true! Engaging with people face-to-face has many mental health benefits, such as reducing anxiety, improving mood, and helping to give a sense of support.

Finally, when you go out to eat with family, friends, or business associates, you have the chance to build social skills and social reciprocity. These elements of human interaction are easy to miss at times, but are very important in helping you feel good and function well.

If you want to start feeling more connected and healthier today, stop by The Little Diner in NY! Bring a few friends, or meet some of our regulars. We’ll be happy to see you!