A Recipe for Stress Relief

Sometimes life is stressful. Sometimes you want to eat cookies. Sometimes, both of those feelings happen at the same time!

A friend of mine recently introduced me to “procrasti-baking”, which she defined as “making food for friends in order to put off doing your work”. While procrastinating is not always a great idea, there is something about baking and cooking for others that makes me happy!

Psychologists have a few ideas why cooking for others can reduce stress:

1. Cooking is a way for us to be creative! You can try new recipes, or decorate your dishes to look fancy!
2. It’s also a way to communicate without using words — being able to say “I’m sorry for your loss” or “I appreciate you” by giving a gift which you created!
3. It is a mindful process! You must be in the moment to follow a recipe’s directions!
4. It also makes you feel good to give something to others! The act of sharing and devoting time to making someone else happy can, in turn, make you happy!

So the next time you’re feeling down and stressed, try reaching for the cook book! Whether you’re making a simple chocolate chip cookie for a friend or an elaborate creole cornbread stuffing for your family, you may soon find yourself feeling a little less stressed (and perhaps a little bit hungry)!

Have you ever tried procrasti-baking? What is your favorite thing to make? Tell us in the comments below!