If you enjoy cooking, you already know that it makes you feel good for some reason. However, this mood boost might sound pretty nice if you are new to cooking. Cooking is excellent for your mental health, and below we will discuss the reasons why, so keep reading to find out why you should go to the kitchen when you are feeling down.
Cooking uses creativity
Creativity is not just a skill set that painters or musicians seem gifted with. We all have creativity waiting to be used, and believe it or not, anything that you put effort into is art, including cooking. Even if you are following a recipe, cooking can exercise creativity. First, as you learn recipes, you get a sense of how ingredients work together and how you can substitute certain items to have a different dish altogether. Then, as you become a more experienced cook, you will start to experiment and use even more of your creativity.
Cooking is relaxing
When I feel stressed, I always find myself baking goodies for the family. Cooking can be very relaxing for many reasons, and I am sure it’s no surprise that being relaxed helps your overall mental health. Cooking results in relaxation because smelling the ingredients creates an aromatherapy effect; it motivates you, allows you to focus with a clear mind, and gets you excited for the finished product.
Better Ingredients
You can use better ingredients and avoid preservatives or chemicals typically found in prepackaged and fast foods when you cook for yourself. Foods that contain these additives are shown to increase depression, hyperactivity, memory issues, and the risk for future mental health disorders. Additionally, when cooking, you also have the opportunity to use ingredients like CBD or cannabis. Many people use CBD or cannabis in their recipes when they feel down. This article can show you how to boost your mood with these particular ingredients.
Connecting with others
Cooking allows you to connect with others. Whipping together someone’s favorite meal or dessert strengthens your bond on both ends. While cooking, you get to think about them positively as you prepare the recipe, and once you present the dish, your loved one will feel cared for and appreciate the kind gesture. Building these social bonds is one of the best ways to eliminate depression, stress, anxiety and create healthy brain development in children.
Teaches patience
Patience is a virtue and having patience improves your mental wellbeing. There is a good chance that even simple recipes will take anywhere from an hour to a full day from start to finish. There are no shortcuts when cooking; prep and bake time is unavoidable. You must pay special attention to the clock to make sure your food turns out perfect, and when doing so, you are learning to be patient in a non-stressful way.
Understanding your food
Knowing what you are consuming helps you feel good about what you are putting into your body. Sometimes when we look at the back of a package, the ingredients list can seem scary. Seeing items like Sodium Nitrate, Aspartame, Propylene Glycol, or Phosphate Additives in your food give you an uneasy feeling. It is essential to know precisely what you are consuming, and when you make your own meals, you know exactly what you are eating. Additionally, if you know what vitamins or minerals you need, cooking for yourself allows you to prepare meals that have what you need. If you don’t know where to start with adding specific vitamins to your meals, this website does a great job breaking down what you may be lacking.
Feeling of accomplishment
My favorite part of cooking is the feeling of accomplishment that you have when you pull the food from the oven and take the first taste. Creating something with your own two hands feels fantastic, and when others enjoy your food, it creates satisfaction. When things don’t seem to be going your way, doing some home cooking can uplift your spirits and give you something to feel good about.
As you can see, cooking is excellent for your mental health. So, when you are in a mental funk and need a pick-me-up, try cooking as a way to feel better naturally.
