Almost every Friday, my best friend and I head to our local pizza restaurant, slide into a booth, and place the same order: a kale salad, a large pie with sweet Italian sausage and caramelized onions. Over the course of our three-year-old ritual, in addition to consuming hundreds of slices, we've befriended two of the servers that work there, frequently chatting with them about their lives, the holidays, and, of course, the weather.
I'll admit: Sometimes I feel embarrassed that I'm returning to the same place and ordering the same meal instead of trying a new restaurant. (I live in New York City, after all.) But as it turns out, being a regular somewhere is actually good for your social and emotional health.
Most of us prioritize the relationships we have with our family members, friends, and colleagues. However, in 1973, Mark Granovetter, a sociologist at Stanford University, found that casual acquaintances, classified as "weak ties" — such as the barista at your local coffee shop, or the front desk attendant at the gym — can often be just as important to our lives. Over four decades later, researchers at Oxford University discovered data that encourages those ties: People who were locals at an establishment were more socially engaged, content, and more likely to trust others in their community than those who weren't.
While you may not think much of the small talk you engage in with casual acquaintances, discussing the never-ending rain, that annoying pothole, or the gorgeous sunset can play a role in your overall wellbeing. "These kinds of small interactions actually can boost our mood and overall contribute to our social health by making us feel more connected, by allowing for regular, consistent interaction, and even by presenting us with the opportunity to potentially make friends and develop deeper relationships," says Kasley Killam, MPH, a Harvard-trained social scientist.