What is social food?

Our social interactions feed us energetically and have huge effects on our health and our spirit.  The question is what are they feeding us? How do we feel on our social diets?

I got a text from my friend after our weekend hanging out saying she feels so much better and more at peace after spending time together.  I felt the same.  After talking with her, I felt strengthened, sustained and lighter like being hydrated by sweet watermelon on a summer day. 

It made me develop this therapy concept I call “social food.” 

Social food is sitting down with one of your best friends and spilling everything that’s been on your mind.  Its being in the presence of someone who loves you and cares about you and wants things to go well for you.  It feeds and replenishes us.

Its talking to my best friend on Facetime with her eye mask patches on while she tells me about her sourdough bread making adventures.  She told me her soul felt the warmth of my angel soul and I feel the same about her. 

Its saying what’s really messed me up this week and my friend validating me and saying she feel the same.  We unpack our our fears and outrages laughing all the way.  Its sharing a breakthrough I had and this touching something in her life too so it makes it doubly sweet. 

My teacher once told me years ago that the guy that I was dating was like chocolate.  He looks good, smells good, tastes sweet but just like chocolate I don’t want to be eating that all the time.  That still makes me laugh.  Because she was right.  I loved our times together but it was very distracting, took energy away from my work and wasn’t long term nourishing. 

Some people serve up Michelin star buffets with their social food.  Being with them is like hearty soup because they’re so warm, loving and understanding.  They’re present with you and they see where you’re coming from and they think the best of you.  They give you your airtime where you feel listened to and share their side too.  You laugh so hard with them and lightness and levity is added to your life from their hilarious perspective. 

Other people leave you starving.  Kitchen’s closed.  They don’t text or call back.  They’re distracted when you’re with them or maybe they’re super negative every time you see them.  With some people it can even be like they’re serving you up nails and broken glass to eat because they are so judgmental, harsh and shitty. They make you feel worse about how you feel and after seeing them you feel drained or questioning yourself, damage done to your aura.  Stay away from those people.    

Its your right to not serve up your warm social food to those that you have felt hurt by or don’t feel they are deserving it. 

Cherish those that you feast with serve them up some appreciation.  Be a good listener and tell them how much you love spending time with them.

Enjoy being replenished and fed by your social connections.