Think of a tiring day at work or maybe at home, and you have to decide what to cook for dinner. Take-out or eat any ready-to-eat option. Well, both these options may solve our problem but are they healthy? Occasionally, you can enjoy an excellent take-out dinner, but that should not be the norm. Instead, think of cooking something simple at home. While you will be engaged in cooking, you will soon forget that you were about to place an order for a take-out. You will end up enjoying a healthier meal and also feel less stressed. Why is that so? Check out this article by The Wall Street Journal, which describes how cooking can help in improving mental health.
In the previous post, I mentioned that cooking is a stress buster for many. However, I have heard people saying that it is therapeutic.
- It activates memories
- There is no room for negative thoughts
- The love for food is universal
- The aroma awakens our senses
- Cooking gives an outlet to our creativity
- It can be a bonding time with family
- It gives a feeling of satisfaction
- State of meditation
8 ways cooking can be the ultimate stress buster
Cooking act as a stress buster because:
It activates memories
Cooking engages our senses to trigger memories. I have often seen myself remembering my mom while preparing specific dishes. During festival time, when we prepare recipes, it reminds us of our childhood days.
There is no room for negative thoughts
We follow specific steps to finish our recipe while cooking. As a result, there is no room for negative thoughts. As a result, cooking becomes a medium of distraction.
The love for food is universal
We all love food. Food is a bridge that connects people. So no matter whether we are a foodie or not, we all love to eat. And to eat good, we put our sincere efforts into cooking it wholeheartedly.
The aroma awakens our senses
Aromatherapy has gained a lot of popularity in recent years.. Stress is known to numb feelings/senses, and the aroma in food is known to activate your senses. For example, the aroma of coffee when you enter any coffee shop instantly lifts your mood.
Here’s a brief breakdown of some common household scents/cooking ingredients, along with how they can change your mood/outlook on life:
Energizing/Invigorating: Orange, Rosemary, Lemon.
Stress Relief: Lavender, Sage.
Sleep Aids: Lavender, Chamomile.
Mood Elevators: Mint, Basil.
Cooking gives an outlet to our creativity
Different people can make the same dish differently. Sometimes we want to try some different spices to see the result. We want to adopt a particular cooking method in our kitchen if we like that method.
It can be a good bonding time with family
Sometimes, our busy schedule gives us less time to enjoy with our family. We can involve kids in the kitchen and create memories. Young kids have a limited scope to help you in the kitchen. To make them familiar with the process, ingredients, measures, Culinary School.Org is one website which offers free online kids cooking games. All games are published using mobile and desktop-friendly HTML5 web design.
Here are a few of my tried games:
For beginners, The Boiling Eggs can be a good option. This game is quite simple but shows how a person working in a kitchen may need to keep track of many things at once during hectic periods.
Fruit Sorting Game is a pattern-matching game suitable for 1st Grade and below kids.
Can I Eat It: Suitable for pre-schoolers and Kindergarteners to educate them on edible and non-edible items.
Breakfast Time/Burger Time: Sometimes, we get irritated when we are not served immediately or if our order gets messed up. This game teaches kids that the server is also a human being, and he can also make mistakes. It also teaches them to be attentive and be responsible for their actions.
It gives a feeling of satisfaction
Whether we cook for our family, ourselves, or guests, we feel satisfied when the dish turns out exactly what we wanted. And when we cook for others, the compliments make it even more special. When you cook for others, you boost your self-esteem and your confidence. When people are happy for you, the feeling you get is enough to relieve your stress.
State of meditation
The aroma of spices, the entire process of cooking takes you to a form of meditation. You are so engaged in the process of chopping and sautéing that you forget about everything else. What you care for is the food you are preparing. You will see food as a calming ritual. Let the state linger for some more time in your mind.
Cooking is an excellent way to relieve stress. However, do not cook to relieve stress – make the food mean something to you. Cooking is also a way to provide your family with a healthy meal.
