New research out today has revealed that eating together as a group can have a positive effect on flatmates’ well-being.
With Millennial loneliness being such a prevalent issue in today’s society*, it’s unsurprising that over a third of people surveyed admitted they never eat with their flatmates. However, out of the respondents that said they do eat together, the research reveals there are significant benefits.
The new study of over 1,000 people**, from flatsharing site SpareRoom, found that 88% of respondents believe eating together has a positive effect on their relationships, and 87% find it has a positive effect on their own personal mood too – with some saying:
“It lifts you, particularly if you have had a bad day and come home in a bad mood”
“We become happier and generally have more laughs together”
“It makes the house more of a home than a flatshare and makes us feel like a family”
With that in mind, SpareRoom is offering to pay for a group of flatmates to put these findings to the test – by agreeing to eat together across the course of two weeks (3 meals per week), and see whether it makes them any happier than eating alone (which they’ll be required to do for a full week beforehand).
Flatmates get to choose whatever meals they want and SpareRoom will foot the bill. In return, participants just need to answer a few simple questions before and during the experiment, in order to measure the impact of eating as a group.
The task has been listed exclusively on community marketplace Airtasker.co.uk, and people can apply for the role here, by sharing how many people they live with, whether they normally eat together, and why they think they (and their housemates) are the best people for the job!
Senior Therapist, Sally Baker comments:
“Housemates who share a meal, just once a week, can create a greater sense of community, even within a household initially made up of strangers. Sitting and eating together also provides an opportunity to decompress from the stresses of the day and share their experiences.”
www.airtasker.co.uk/tasks/flatmates-to-eat-together-and-get-paid-for-it-
