{"id":79884,"date":"2020-04-09T19:00:03","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T03:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=79884"},"modified":"2020-04-09T19:00:06","modified_gmt":"2020-04-10T03:00:06","slug":"baking-for-anxiety-how-it-helps-me-cope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/baking-for-anxiety-how-it-helps-me-cope\/","title":{"rendered":"Baking for Anxiety: How It Helps Me Cope"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Are you\nfeeling like an autumn leaf caught in a tornado right now? You are far from\nalone. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life as people know it, and many folks\nare battling unprecedented levels of anxiety at the moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One ritual\nthat never fails to soothe me is getting in the kitchen and donning my baking\napron. The room itself is my happy place, and the act of making something to\ndelight my family helps me feel productive and useful when I\u2019m not sure what else\nto do. Here\u2019s what I get from my routine and how you can benefit, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baking Gives You a Sense of Control <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You can\u2019t\ncontrol much right now, and neither can I. Our employers may choose to cut\nhours or shutter their doors entirely. The federal government may or may not\nprovide all the help we need to make it through the current pandemic. This\ndisease may blow over by next month, or we could be staring at a new, more solo\nreality for an extended period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psychologists\ndescribe both an internal and external locus of control, and which one you\nembrace during challenging times influences your mental health. People with an\ninternal locus of control look inward. They feel that they exert more control<\/a> over their world, while those with an external locus look\nat factors outside of themselves as determining their destiny. Neither one is\nbest for all situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For\nexample, let\u2019s say you recently experienced a layoff because the government\ninstructed your employer to close temporarily. If you rely purely on an\ninternal locus of control, you produce self-talk like, \u2018If only I had taken a\ndifferent position, I\u2019d have more security now.\u201d However, you had no way of\nknowing this pandemic would occur. Even world leaders didn\u2019t grasp the\nmagnitude of the impact. It\u2019s healthy to realize that sometimes, circumstances\nremain beyond your control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However,\nblaming everything on factors that you can\u2019t control can increase anxiety\nbecause you feel like, no matter what you do, your life might dissolve into\nchaos, anyway. This pressure to fight an unending battle can lead to feelings\nof despair and overwhelm. You think, \u201cWhat\u2019s the point?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s\nwhere baking comes into play for me. While I can\u2019t control the fact that I\u2019m\ngetting a touch more family time than I might like right now, I can control my\nreaction to my circumstances. Baking a cake with my eldest generates feelings\nof love between us and banishes resentment. Seeing the smiles on my family\u2019s face\nwhen I delight them with one of my creations reminds me not only of how much I\nlove them, but also that I possess the power to create good in this\nworld. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baking Engages My Creativity <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Exercising\nyour creativity is a critical component of overall wellness. I love to\nexperiment with non-traditional flavor combinations. For example, one of my\nhubby\u2019s favorites are smoked maple bacon cupcakes<\/a> \u2014 who would have thought of blending breakfast with\ndessert? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like most\nkids, my girls love sweets. Vegetables? Not so much. Baking provides a way that\nI can get them their recommended servings of greens without them having a\nmeltdown. Who has the patience to deal with tantrums in these uncertain times?\nHowever, both of my darling little ones will gleefully eat zucchini and chocolate cranberry muffins<\/a> as long as I remain mum about phytonutrients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baking Is a Soothing, Mindful Activity <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mindfulness\nis a fabulous practice. It can halt the racing thoughts that accompany anxiety\nin their tracks because it takes you out of rumination mode and focuses you on\nthe present moment. It also helps you revel in the joy of everyday\nactivities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I\nset out my ingredients, I prime my mind and body<\/a>\nand set an intention. I sit down and take a minute or two to reflect on what I\nwant to make and why. I take deep, cleansing breaths and express mental\ngratitude that I have a kitchen in which to cook and nourishing food to\nprepare. As I proceed through the steps in the recipe, I take time to savor\nlittle moments, like the flavor of the batter on my tongue. As I arrange the\ncupcakes on a tray, I decorate each one with the care \u2014 if not entirely the\nskill \u2014 of a French chef. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baking Helps Me Nurture Those I Love <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finally, in\ntumultuous times, it\u2019s critical to remember who genuinely matters to you.\nWithout the family that we love, what is the purpose of life, anyway? Baking\nprovides me with a concrete way to say, \u201cI love you\u201d to those I care for the\nmost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baking also\nserves as a way for me to love myself. When people think about self-care, they\ntend to visualize a luxurious spa. However, self-care merely entails any activity we deliberately do<\/a> to benefit our physical, mental or emotional health.\nTaking a walk qualifies if you do so to lower your blood pressure or calm down\nfrom a tense situation. So does baking a cake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baking Helps Me Cope With Anxiety \u2014 Could It Help You, Too? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are\nfeeling capsized by a wave of anxiety right now, you are far from alone. Baking\nhelps me to navigate times of uncertainty, and it might help you, too. The next\ntime you feel overwhelmed by a fight-or-flight response, take a deep breath,\ntie on your apron and get out your flour. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you feeling like an autumn leaf caught in a tornado right now? You are far from alone. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life as people know it, and many folks are battling unprecedented levels of anxiety at the moment.  … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13370,"featured_media":79885,"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":[3709,21,7748],"tags":[1743,7775,7771,7767,66,7769,7776],"yoast_head":"\nBaking for Anxiety: How It Helps Me Cope<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life as people know it, and many folks are battling unprecedented levels of anxiety at the moment. 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