No Stress at Dinner
At the end of the day, we may want to unload all the stress and busyness from our day into our friends, family members, and loved ones, but we should avoid doing so over dinner. It’s a common tradition to discuss difficulties, worries, conflicting opinions, politics, current events, or other hot topics at dinner, but this can cause us to unintentionally extend or inherit stress that is harmful to proper digestion. It’s proven that our digestive system cannot function well when we’re experiencing negative emotions, especially stress. So while it may feel like a release or a way to sort out our thoughts to download all our problems over dinner, we should instead reserve a time to express about anything more emotional that could possibly add stress or negativity to our mind or to other people. What may be simple venting to us might be draining or harmful to another person if they don’t have the right energy or emotional availability in the moment to support the subject. When we have the thoughtfulness to save heavy subjects for after dinner, we honor the delicious food by being able to fully enjoy it and we honor our company by preserving their serenity.
Tip: A good tip for dinner conversation is reviewing the best points of the day and amplifying that good energy to our company. Another nourishing focus is sharing three to ten things we’re grateful for. Focusing on appreciation has been proven to boost mood and alleviate stress.
This concept applies to all meals. If we're stressed at work, we'll benefit from taking a few minutes to mindfully decompress from the stress and pressure of our projects before sitting down for lunch. If we're worried, anxious, or upset about something in the morning, we should soothe ourselves to a point of calmness before eating our breakfast. Stress can make us eat mindlessly, negatively affects our digestion, and disrupts our appreciation of our precious food, so when we consciously minimize stress before our meals, we best honor our health.
This concept applies to all meals. If we're stressed at work, we'll benefit from taking a few minutes to mindfully decompress from the stress and pressure of our projects before sitting down for lunch. If we're worried, anxious, or upset about something in the morning, we should soothe ourselves to a point of calmness before eating our breakfast. Stress can make us eat mindlessly, negatively affects our digestion, and disrupts our appreciation of our precious food, so when we consciously minimize stress before our meals, we best honor our health.
Self-Care Mantra (Relaxing)
Use this mantra from Thich Nhat Hanh to relax from the day’s stress:
Breathing in, I am aware of my body;
Breathing out, I release all tension in my body.
Breathing, relaxing.
This is an act of love directed at my body.
Breathing out, I release all tension in my body.
Breathing, relaxing.
This is an act of love directed at my body.