{"id":69481,"date":"2019-09-04T12:03:35","date_gmt":"2019-09-04T20:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=69481"},"modified":"2019-09-12T18:29:32","modified_gmt":"2019-09-13T02:29:32","slug":"5-ways-cooking-can-help-reduce-stress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/5-ways-cooking-can-help-reduce-stress\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways Cooking Can Help Reduce Stress"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Our schedules are ever so busy. With the\nworld becoming faster paced today more than yesterday, people need more tips\nand tricks to save time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a lot you might have on your\nschedule for today \u2013 a 9-to-5 job, exercise, a side job, social activities,\ntaking your kids to and from school, and much more. Oftentimes, you might give\nin to the \u2018fast breakfast\u2019 commercial that you see on your way to work. It is\nunderstandable. Occasionally, you can enjoy a good take-out dinner but that\nshould not be a norm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Home-cooked meals are healthy, yes, but\nthat is not all they have to offer \u2013 they provide you with a way to work on\nyour stress. Below are the various ways cooking helps you beat anxiety and\nstress:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. The Act of Cooking is Enjoyable<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Cooking, especially when you have to\nfollow a recipe and concentrate on the best results, is just like any other\nproject you can undertake. Just by eating out every day, you miss out on the\ntherapy that cooking offers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    According to the Journal of\nPositive Psychology<\/a>, people who take on and complete small\nprojects every day are more relaxed and happier. The research published on the\njournal involved following 658 people who were cooking and baking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For you to enjoy the experience, you need to experiment with different food items. In short, engage in a cooking project where you experiment with different recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Cooking as a Creative Outlet<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cooking is one way to try different\ncreative ideas you might be having. Baking and decorating a cake, for instance,\nneeds creativity. Stress is known to numb senses and the aroma in food is known\nto activate your senses. Cooking, according the Debbie Mandel\u2019s Addicted to Stress<\/a>, is a\nway to explore your creative side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When cooking, the aroma will activate your\ntaste, touch, hearing and sight. It is not just the fact that you let out your\ncreative side, you also gain control when you cook. Cooking lets you be the\nboss \u2013 you can tweak the recipes the way you want to create the food item you\ndesire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Control and anxiety might be causing your stress. When you get to choose the recipes you use, the method to use, and the decorations of the final result, you get enjoy the process. While at it, you forget your anxieties and stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Express Love through Cooking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you have a family, or you live with a\npartner, cooking for them lets you express and nurture love. This is especially\na great avenue to express love if you find it challenging to communicate what\nyou feel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cooking for others is an expression of\nselflessness<\/a>. It can make people feel more connected\nto you. When you cook for others, you boost your self-esteem and your\nconfidence. The feeling you get when people are happy for you is enough to relieve\nyour stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you are good at grilling, for instance, you can grill ribs and enjoy with your family members or friends in your backyard. This way, you will all enjoy perfectly cooked food<\/a> and your stress will be eased. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. The Anticipation of a Reward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One thing that turns people from cooking\nis the cleaning that comes after cooking. Cooking gives you a lot of pleasure,\nmore than you could ever get from all other mundane chores in the kitchen.\nEating and enjoying food is a reward enough to motivate you to cook. Everyone\nloves to be appreciated and rewarded. Eating your favorite food is a rewarding\nexperience. The experience is even better when you have made the food yourself.\nThe feeling of self-pride is enough to keep you happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even when you are cooking meals for your family or group of friends, they will all be anticipating good meals. So, start cooking today and it will feel better knowing you will enjoy a good meal afterwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Cooking and Aromatherapy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Do you enjoy the aroma of good food? The\nsmell or raw ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables, the aroma of fried\nonions, the sweet aroma of fried or grilled meat, and the general aroma of food\nis enough to relieve stress. It is this aroma that arouses your senses and\ntakes your mind off thoughts that make you anxious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Numerous studies have shown that good\nscents, especially from essential oils or the aroma of food, are great at\nreducing stress. When you breathe in the aroma, it calms your mind and helps\nyou stay free of worries. According to\nresearch<\/a>, aroma and sweet scents can alter brain waves and\nchange behavior to relieve you of stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Start Cooking Today<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cooking\nshould be a project that you undertake. Every weekend, or during your free\ntime, search for recipes of the foods you would love to cook. Numerous recipes\nare uploaded online every day. Scroll through your social media feeds,\nespecially Instagram, and you will come across delicious, yet easy to prepare,\nmeals. Pick enough recipes to try out for a whole week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Besides\npicking the recipes, shop for enough groceries to last you through the week.\nThis will save you time and make the experience more enjoyable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If\nyou are afraid of the chores that follow cooking, ensure you cook enough food\nfor dinner and for lunch the following day. If you have a family, or you live\nwith your partner, they can help you prepare some of the ingredients to make\nthe experience better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cooking\nis a good way to relieve stress. However, do not cook just to relieve stress \u2013\nmake the food mean something to you. Cooking is also a way to provide your\nfamily with a healthy mean. Even if you live alone, a healthy meal will mean a\nlot to you. When in the kitchen, give the food, and your body, the honor and\nlove you would love to receive. This way, you will not view cooking as a means\nto release stress but as a project you love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With\ntime, you will be more passionate about cooking and it will become a source of\nenjoyment. If you can do it together with others, the experience is even\nbetter. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Our schedules are ever so busy. With the world becoming faster paced today more than yesterday, people need more tips and tricks to save time. There is a lot you might have on your schedule for today \u2013 a 9-to-5 job, exercise, a side job, social activities, taking your kids to and from school, and much more. Oftentimes, you might give in to the \u2018fast breakfast\u2019 commercial that you see on your way to work. It is understandable. Occasionally, you can enjoy a good take-out dinner but that should not be a norm. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14569,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[3709,24],"tags":[2780,4650,109,4629],"yoast_head":"\n5 Ways Cooking Can Help Reduce Stress<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Spending time in the kitchen is a common cure for stress or feeling down. 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