Soothe Stress, Bake Yourself Happy

When you are stressed , food is not necessarily the answer. Well, not eating it anyway. There's something about baking that I'm finding quite nourishing these days. It's quite a stress-reducing activity. I found baking had a calming effect on me without knowing that was what it was doing. I love chocolate chip cookies, anything with chocolate will do, really! But a traditional favorite comfort cookie loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, will take you to a whole new level! These chocolate chip cookies are great...you get a double dose of chocolate. Baking chocolate chip cookies is relaxing for several reasons.

First, there is the aromatherapy: Anytime you combine ingredients such as vanilla extract, cinnamon, chocolate and butter, spread them out on a cookie sheet and insert them into a hot oven, your house filled with a sweet scent that reminds you of childhood, Christmas and other pleasantly nostalgic associations. Second, baking keeps your hands busy, making it nearly impossible to multitask. With your fingers covered in gooey dough, checking your messages is pretty much out of the question. When you are up to your elbows in batter and chocolate, you are more likely inclined to miss phone calls. What's more, although baking doesn't require a huge amount of mental effort, it is very good for focusing the mind because it often relies on very exact measurements, consulting of recipes and coordinating of various mechanical tasks (attaching the proper blade to the mixer, setting up a double boiler to melt some chocolate) require just enough thought to keep you from dwelling too heavily on non-baking concerns. Having complete focus on a recipe and not allowing yourself to be distracted by your thoughts can have a therapeutic affect. It's nice to know that something as simple as baking chocolate chip cookies has such a positive effect on our emotions.

Another reason baking makes me feel good is because I can make things for someone else. It's not just the physical process of baking that can soothe the mind but also the rewards I get when baking for others. It's the selfless nature of spending time creating something for another person that can really affect us in a positive way. We often bake for people as an expression of love, whether to cheer them up, celebrate an occasion or 'just because' and because of this baking takes on a more important meaning than just creating deliciousness - it becomes a means of communicating.

All in all, baking is very therapeutic for me. Sometimes just baking for a loved one for no reason at all is enough to make you feel better, because you're taking care of them. The end result is usually delicious, and sometimes smiles back if I want it to. There is nothing better to lift the spirits than getting complimented on something you have spent your time creating for someone else to enjoy. So, next time you're feeling down, pick up that rolling pin and bake us something gooey and delicious, after all, in many countries, making and giving food is an expression of love. Come on, you know you want to!