Cooking Therapy

[whitakermk]

Does anyone here consider cooking as a way of clearing your head and as a mild form of therapy? I know many consider Holiday and Christmas cooking to be stressful, but I think it helps me get in the mood and often I find myself in a better mood afterwards. I'm not saying I've never been stressed about a turkey being done on time, but in general, I think cooking can be a great way to "chill out."

 

[Rosyrain]

I do find that cooking relaxes me a little when I am stressed out. I get into a rhythm of stirring and chopping and my troubles go away for a while. It is nice when the dish turns out perfect and I can be proud of what I did.

 

[Caribbean girl]

The times when I enjoy cooking the most are during holidays and at Christmas time. I find this more enjoyable than the usual everyday cooking. I especially enjoy cooking when I am doing it for guests, like, for instance, if family or friends are coming over for dinner. It is at these times that I put my all into it to make sure that my guests enjoy the meal.

For everyday cooking, I am in a good mood when the meal turns out good and I can then relax and eat it after having put a lot of effort into it.

 

[Ella]

Sometimes I like to cook or bake when I need a break from everything. I feel as if I am still doing something useful and I can do things methodically and it does relax me, knowing what I am making and doing. I guess it gives me a sense of purpose and space to do something without being interrupted with the bonus of food being ready when I need it. I often cook in bulk and freeze things in portions or use up leftover ingredients too, so I feel good I haven't wasted things and saved time.

 

[Food4thought]

l'ave always found cooking and baking to be relaxing and a good way to stop going over things in my mind. When preparing food you need to focus on what you are doing. l shut myself in the kitchen and have the radio on, which I listen to while stiring food in pans or during do repetitive tasks like chopping vegetables.

 

[Rosyrain]

When cooking, it is so easy to just get lost in what you are doing, or even brieftly pretend that you are somewhere else. I tend to do this if I am having a really hard time in life. I can dream and imagine when I am cooking and the world feels like a better place for just a little while. I have found that cooking is much more relaxing than baking because most dishes are more complex, thus requriing more thought.

 

[kamarsun1]

Does anyone here consider cooking as a way of clearing your head and as a mild form of therapy? I know many consider Holiday and Christmas cooking to be stressful, but I think it helps me get in the mood and often I find myself in a better mood afterwards. I'm not saying I've never been stressed about a turkey being done on time, but in general, I think cooking can be a great way to "chill out."

Yes I do, cooking is like a form of meditation. I really enjoy it. When I'm in the middle of a recipe I'm not worried about other issues, so I would say cooking is therapy for those that like to cook.

 

[Indigo02]

Yes, I do use cooking as a way to de-stress. I was having a bad couple of days right before Thanksgiving and ended up starting my holiday cooking early because I figured it was better to peel sweet potatoes than dwell on what was wrong.

I also start making dinner shortly after I come home from work in order to unwind.

 

[OhioTom76]

I never understood why some people get so stressed out about cooking - whether it's a week night meal or cooking for a large gathering during the holidays. It's really not that hard, and if you simply clean as you go and are organized, it's quite fun. Several times over the past 10-15 years I've cooked Thanksgiving/Easter/Christmas dinner for my whole family all by myself and had the kitchen completely cleaned by the time the food was ready. My mom or my sister on the other hand, when they try to do it, get all flustered and let pots and pans and dishes pile up the whole time, that by the time they are "done" the kitchen looks like a war zone and they spend the next couple hours worrying about cleaning all that up.

I'm fine and enjoy the hell out of it, as long as nobody else is in the kitchen with me. I cannot stand anyone else being in there getting in my way constantly. In fact when I used to work as a line cook/kitchen manager, I would send all the other cooks home early as soon as possible - which our general manager of course loved. I am more efficient working by myself in most cases, unless we were completely slammed like on a weekend dinner rush.