October is nearly over and, as we get ready to plunge into the heart of fall, baking seems to take new precedence in our minds. As days turn cold, cookies straight out of the oven, still hot and gooey, sound like heaven. We at The Life Change Institute have good news for you: There are many mental health benefits of baking!
As you choose your recipe and begin sifting flour and kneading dough you can enter a meditative state. Any physically repetitive activity (like exercise) can provide the mental space that you may need to get away from negative thoughts and feelings for a little while. Baking, however, has added benefits. The sounds and smells help get your senses going and can release those feel good endorphins. Smell is linked to memory, too, so if you choose to bake the same lemon cake your mother always made for your birthday, it may even take you to happy thoughts.
Baking is often linked with the idea of nourishment. This can be another positive mental health benefit as you begin to associate your actions with the idea of being nourishing. Therapists and doctors alike recommend that, if you turn to baking as form of occupational therapy, that you focus on making healthy recipes. This way you can prevent negative side affects from an otherwise positive action. That’s not to say you should never make the sticky sweet stuff. Desserts in moderation are perfectly fine, plus, if you think you might be tempted to eat to many simply give some away! Then you get the added benefit of making other people happy which in turn will make you happy too. Simply bake those cupcakes to take to work the next morning or make a plate of cookies for a neighbor.
Don’t forget to be creative with the recipe or when decorating your cakes. Being creative is good for mental health and can help counteract depression. One of the reasons baking can be so helpful is the combination of physical activity with creativity. So have fun with it and find a way to express yourself!
If you’d like to try one of my favorite recipes, this gingersnap cookie recipe is fantastic: Soft & Chewy Gingersnap Cookies by The Kitchen McCabe.