- There are many reasons dietitians recommend unplugging from your devices during meals.
- It can ease stress, improve digestion, help you enjoy your food more and increase satisfaction.
- To try it: Put your phone out of reach and allow yourself 20 to 30 uninterrupted minutes.
As a self-proclaimed multitasker, there are few moments in my day when my brain isn’t balancing multiple things. And lunchtime is no exception. Lately, I’ve been treating my midday meal as an unwelcome interruption rather than a break—pushing through work and answering emails while eating, only to finish feeling more drained than before.
Since this pattern is more exhausting than productive, I wanted to see what would happen to my stress, hunger cues and satisfaction if I slowed down at least once a day. So I tried a simple two-week experiment: At lunch, I put my devices away and ate without distractions. No laptop, no phone, no “just answering one quick message.”
What changed? All of the above. My stress dissipated, I felt full faster, my digestion improved, and—most importantly—I actually enjoyed my lunch.
That might sound like a lot from one little change, but nutrition experts say there are multiple reasons why it works. Should you give it a try? Keep reading to find out how it can transform your day.
Benefits of My Distraction-Free Lunch
I Felt Less Stressed and Returned to Work More Focused
At first, it was hard to eat lunch without my devices. But within a few days, the meal started to feel like an actual break instead of something to rush through. I took a deep breath, actually chewed my food and paid attention to how I was feeling. When I went back to work, I felt more relaxed and focused than usual. That midday pause stopped feeling like “lost time” and started to feel like something my brain genuinely needed.
Talia Follador, RDN, LDN, says there’s physiology behind that sense of calm. “When we slow down and focus on eating, the body is better able to shift into the parasympathetic nervous system, or ‘rest and digest’ mode,” she explains. Conversely, staying in constant work mode keeps us closer to “fight or flight,” which can heighten stress and make digestion less efficient.
Research also suggests that mindfulness in general can help manage stress. Mindfulness-based programs may help reduce anxiety and improve emotional regulation, which can influence how we respond to everyday stressors over time.
I Noticed Feeling Full Sooner
Even as a dietitian who talks about mindful eating all the time, I’m still human. And I fall into the same habits as my clients. I know the value of slowing down, chewing and paying attention to my meal. But in the middle of a busy workday, I often forget to do it.
Once I removed my devices, I slowed my eating pace and began to notice when I lost interest in my food, indicating that I was feeling satisfied. Sometimes that meant stopping before finishing my usual portions. I didn’t realize how often I was eating past fullness simply because I wasn’t paying attention.
“Focusing on your meal without screens helps you better notice hunger and fullness cues, which can prevent overeating,” says Juliana Crimi, RD, M.H.Sc. Why is it so powerful? “Fullness hormones take time to signal the brain,” explains Follador. “When you eat quickly or while distracted, it’s easy to overshoot fullness simply because those signals haven’t caught up yet.” Slowing down allows those physical cues to register.,
My Digestion Improved
Previously, when I rushed through meals distractedly, I often felt bloated and uncomfortable afterward. But what I experienced this time was different.
Eating mindfully lets the body know that it’s time to shift its energy toward rest and digestion, explains Juliana Vocca, M.S., RD. “Your body increases saliva production, releases digestive enzymes and enhances blood flow to the stomach and intestines,” she says. “These changes allow for a more thorough breakdown of food and better absorption of nutrients, creating an ideal internal environment for digestion.”
That lines up closely with what I noticed. Staying present, chewing thoroughly and pausing between bites felt easier on my gut. And I experienced less bloating and digestive discomfort after eating.
I Actually Enjoyed My Meals
Without my phone or laptop in front of me, I started noticing things I’d been missing—the smell, the textures, the first few bites that always taste the best. That sense of satisfaction carried me through the afternoon in a way that rushing never did.
Shauna McQueen, M.S., RD, explains that mindful eating encourages this kind of sensory awareness. “Practicing mindful eating means you take time to appreciate your food’s appearance, aroma, taste and texture, savoring its flavors without distractions,” she says. When we bring attention to the experience of eating, food often becomes more satisfying. For me, that meant connecting the dots between what I ate and how I felt afterward, and which meals helped my energy last through the afternoon.
Simple Ways to Make Meals More Mindful
I’m not trying to eliminate screens from my life altogether, but this experience showed me that a few small shifts at meals can have a noticeable impact. Here are some dietitian-recommended strategies that helped me:
- Give yourself time to enjoy your meal. Crimi recommends avoiding multitasking and allowing yourself 20 to 30 minutes for meals.
- Start small. Not ready to take the full plunge into device-free eating? Start slow by beginning your meal without screens. “Even eating the first few bites without distractions allows space for a quick check-in,” says Follador.
- Put your phone out of reach. In my case, having my phone on the table was too tempting. Placing it in another room—or at least face-down and on silent—made it much easier to resist.
- Pause halfway through your meal. Since fullness cues take time to reach the brain, a mid-meal pause helped me tune into my body’s natural cues. It also helped me reconnect with the present moment, as my mind often wandered away from the simple task of eating lunch.
- Aim for one mindful meal a day. Of course, some days will still be busy. But choosing one meal or snack to eat without distractions builds awareness over time without being overwhelming.
Our Expert Take
There are lots of reasons dietitians encourage slowing down during meals and eating more mindfully. A great way to start is by unplugging from your devices. A device-free meal can help you feel less stressed, improve digestion and help you notice that you are full sooner and enjoy your food more. This simple act doesn’t require completely overhauling your routine, either. Mindful eating is like a muscle—one that gets stronger with small, consistent steps, like putting the phone out of reach, pausing halfway through a meal or choosing one distraction-free meal a day. Those tiny adjustments can equal big changes, not just in how you eat, but in how you feel afterward.
