About halfway through each week, I implore anyone and everyone to “come over for Shabbat.” My requests are often met with blank stares or responses of “but I’m not Jewish?” from friends and coworkers.

While I am Jewish, I’m not Orthodox or extremely observant—yet the rituals of this Friday night tradition have become so much more than a religious experience to me. What’s better than winding down the week at home filled with your favorite people and the scent of a chicken roasting in the oven?

But it doesn’t matter if you’re Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Catholic, Christian, agnostic, atheist. Shabbat—the concept of spending quality time with friends and family while taking a break from scrolling on Instagram—is for everyone. It is an ancient antidote to our modern ailments.

Rabbi Benjamin Spratt, Associate Rabbi of Congregation Rodeph Sholom and Rabbi-in-Residence at Rodeph Sholom School, says Shabbat is essentially an act of mindfulness.

“Many of the practices associated with Shabbat help us be more present and aware for the blessings in our lives. The custom is that the tone of the conversation should be different; it’s a time where we focus only on gratitude. Many people look back on their weeks and highlight those good moments—even something as small as acknowledging the food or the drink we put in our mouths.”

What makes a Shabbat dinner different from all other dinners? Having meaningful, connecting conversations that are different from the every day.

“There’s audacity these days in expressing gratitude—cultivating gratitude in our lives takes courage and effort. We often don’t willingly move ourselves to deeper conversation, and that’s why it’s helpful to have a dinner that’s supposed to be different from other dinners,” Rabbi Spratt says.

Man Repeller founder and author Leandra Medine says observing Shabbat has always been an integral part of her life. It’s a ritual that she shares with her followers and has become a particularly wonderful way to unwind.

“That Friday evening subway ride [uptown to her parents’ or in-laws’ apartment] is actually the highlight of my weekend—I don’t use my phone on Shabbat (even though I do turn on lights and use other forms of electricity), so this ride has sort of become emblematic of the beginning of my weekly technology cleanse. Once we’re seated at the table, we speak briefly and superficially about our weeks and then get to the guts of whatever is on our minds,” Medine says.