Baking is the oldest method of cooking that exists. It is the process of cooking using dry heat that typically originates from an oven. This simple activity can help reduce anxiety and improve mental health as anyone is capable of baking and even encouraged to do so!
Why is baking beneficial?
“Baking has the benefit of allowing people creative expression,” associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at Boston University, Donna Pincus, stated. Pincus also discusses that baking for others can increase a feeling of well-being, contribute to stress relief, and make you feel like you have done something fulfilling, which perhaps increases your meaning in life and connection with other people.
Benefits of Baking
- Dr. Mary McNaughton-Cassill, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, states, “some of it is just allowing yourself to be creative; adding flavor, changing color, forming shapes. Then, you have got the sensory triggers. The smell of spices and vanilla are comforting; they remind us of happy times. Olfactory scents are particularly linked to areas of the brain that involve emotions and memory.”
- The rhythm and routine in baking leads to a state of mindfulness which, we as humans, seek for a normal routine.
- Psychologists have reported that it is one of the best ways to combat anxiety and depression. When you are baking, you cannot help but be engaged.
- People who have common interests such as baking often find a community where they feel less isolated, and this is commonly done through the use of social media. Hence, baking creates a sense of unity, connecting everyone.
- Used by some addiction treatment centers to relieve stress, improve social skills and memory, enhance participants’ ability to plan and organize, relieve boredom, and boost self-esteem, not to mention teaching healthy eating patterns. It can help treat people with autism, depression, anxiety, and learning disabilities.
- Handing over food, specifically cake, can give you a real sense of pride and happiness, as you know you are feeding and (hopefully) pleasing those you love.
- Helps your brain stay heathy as well. It allows you to be more aware of what you are putting in your body and how it reacts to different foods and dietary staples.
Who can bake?
During quarantine, many of us saw ourselves becoming bakers, which poses the question “who can bake?” A general assumption is made that you must be good at baking to frequently do so. However, anyone can bake! There is a myriad of easy-to-follow recipes online ranging from desserts, savory, and bread. Roping in your friends and family produces a fun occupation as well, regardless of the outcome. It provides an enjoyable and stress-free occupation. So, by the end of this, you have a little less stress and a dozen cupcakes!
Here are a few links for simple recipes to get you started –