The best part about cooking or baking food is eating it, right? Well, not entirely. Baking is a practice that requires a lot of attention and skill. You need to get the proportions correct, while at the same time you get to test new things to come up with the perfect snack. Whether it’s a cake or a pie, we must admit that baking from scratch takes a lot of time and energy. In the end, it’s almost always worth it. You get to enjoy the fruits of your labour, literally.
Here are 5 reasons why baking is good for you, apart from the eating part.
1. It’s meditative
Baking is a soulful activity. As you mix together different ingredients and listen to the sound of them – the sugar, the flour, the raisins – pouring into your bowl, you meditate. It requires your whole attention, meaning that for a few minutes, everything else comes to a standstill except you and your thoughts.
It creates space in the mind, and eases negative thinking processes. Plus, there’s definitely something about the aroma of a freshly-baked batch of cookies, bread, or cupcakes, which puts your mind at ease. If you want to unwind and get some clarity in your thoughts, you should most definitely try your hand in baking.
2. It stimulates the senses
It is clear that baking is not just about the delicious treats, but also the experience and thought process that goes into it. When you bake, you use all the five senses – touch, sight, smell, taste, and hearing. This is beneficial in that it increases feel-good endorphins. It taps into the pleasure senses of the brain, and can help you feel better. In fact, a study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that practicing simple creative acts on a regular basis can lead to more positive psychological functioning.
3. It strengthens bonds
If you are looking for an inexpensive and yet fun way to bond with your friends and family, then perhaps you should consider baking. It’s a great way to learn more about one another. To add on to that, baking with others involves teamwork, bonding, and shared memories that allows you to exercise interpreting and responding to emotions. Through sharing the delicious finished product with others, you can show pride in what they created and share positive experiences with their friends and family.
4. It boosts your creativity
When you’re baking, you get to try out different things, flavours, mechanisms, and much more. Baking can boost your creativity. Most baking also involves decorating, which allows you to express yourself, which in turn calms the mind and improves mood. It’s an art that you can almost never go wrong with. By allowing your mind to wander and create something artistic, without restrictions and expectations, your creativity can only grow stronger.
5. It is relaxing
In the fast-paced world that we live in, it’s paramount that we find a way to slow down once in a while and take a breather. Baking can help you with just that! Movements such as kneading bread have been shown to reduce levels of anxiety, help prevent and manage depression. Psychologists explain that baking puts your consciousness in the present. It can provide a positive way of distraction.
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