Cooking good food is a huge part of Italian-American culture. Considering the emphasis Italian culture places upon food, this comes as no surprise. But did you know that cooking also comes with some surprising benefits, including stress relief? Here’s how cooking can relieve stress.
Cooking Brings Joy
Cooking has a special way of bringing joy to people—that includes you, as the person cooking! After all, creating a dish from scratch is an enjoyable and productive way to spend time. The act of cooking also brings the reward of eating what you’ve created and sharing that tasty food with family and friends.
Express Your Creativity
One of the reasons many people find cooking so enjoyable is that it allows you to express creativity. By nature, cooking is a creative act. When you cook, you have full agency to make what you want. Tired of that pasta recipe you’ve been whipping up for months? Spice it up by adding or switching out a few ingredients, or you can try an entirely new recipe. Whatever you make will allow you to get those creative juices flowing.
Enjoy Aromatherapy
You can always tell when someone is cooking by the delectable smells floating through the air. When you cook, these smells can relieve stress by acting as a form of aromatherapy. In combination with the stress-relieving act of cooking itself, the smells as you cook will help to take your mind off any stress or anxiety; this, in turn, will cause you to feel more relaxed. If you’re cooking on your stovetop, be sure to eliminate any potentially dangerous fumes—you don’t want to be smelling those.
Feel Proud of Your Accomplishments
Successfully creating a meal is an accomplishment, and it’s one of which you should be proud. Even if you’ve accomplished nothing else in your day, cooking even one delicious meal is a huge accomplishment. With continued practice and time, your cooking skills will improve exponentially, and you’ll make even more impressive meals.
Knowing how cooking can relieve stress gives you another perspective on cooking and a whole new reason to cook. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately, why not try it out? You’ll feel better after; plus, you’ll get to enjoy a delicious, home-cooked meal.