HEALING IN THE KITCHEN

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Perhaps the most creative inventions are born out of our basic need to eat for the sake of survival. In the same vein, cooking has been one of the most creative endeavors that man has embarked upon. The sense of satisfaction that comes over us when we whip up a satisfying meal for those we love cannot be paralleled. The joy of cooking also has an important healing role in our lives. Many therapists believe that it is a process that helps people going through depression, suffering anxiety issues or a host of other psychological difficulties to feel better.

The ancient art of cooking

For many, the kitchen is that sanctuary where they feel the most alive and the most at peace with themselves. They find the simple acts of cutting, chopping and grinding as intensely therapeutic. One of the primary reasons why cooking is therapeutic is because it appeals to all our senses at once. Whether it is the brightly colored vegetables or the pretty confectionaries, the visual appeal that food has on our brains is an instant one, where parts of the brain are activated at the mere sight of a tempting meal. The sound of the boiling cooker or the trickling of the various liquids sounds like music to the lovers of cooking. The aroma, the taste and the texture of meals appeal at the same time to our senses of smell, taste and touch.

Ladle as a Wand That Creates Magic

Holding a ladle in one’s hand and whipping up a meal from scratch requires patience and attention, both qualities that help in improving one’s cognitive capacities. Therapists suggest that in addition to these cognitive processes, cooking also enhances one’s self-esteem and helps in overcoming negative thoughts and emotions by redirecting them to the process of cooking. With this increase in goal-directed behavior other issues like deficits in attention, tendency towards procrastination and passivity are also overcome.

A whiff of baking delights uplifts the spirit

What adds to this sense of well-being is that it greatly improves one’s social relationships. Most of the times, when people are dealing with depression or other stress-related difficulties they tend to minimize all their social interactions. However, the joy of cooking is partly contingent upon the act of “sharing” your meal with others. The sense of accomplishment that comes when you see people enjoying your meal goes a long way in cementing social ties.

The Joy Of Cooking

There are numerous examples of people who have been helped by the art of cooking. Amongst the famous ones is the case of John Whaite, a baker, who won the show “The Great British Bake Off” in UK, in 2012. He went on to publish his cook book where he spoke about his battle against depression and how baking helped him overcome that depression. Various other examples from our daily lives are available where the tenacity and rigor required for cooking has helped people in pulling themselves out of negativity and channelize their energies. SakshiAhlawat, an excellent home cook describes her experiences with cooking, “Cooking has been one of the most deeply satisfying experiences in my life.

Chopping and Cutting help increase concentration

There was a time after the death of a loved one, when I had halted almost all activities and I had even stopped interacting with others around me.

Cooking together cements social bonds

It was the joy of baking that helped me through that time. When I would bake little cupcakes for the children of my society on their birthdays and other occasions, the smile that flashed on their faces and the relish with which they enjoyed them, was all the motivation I needed to whip up tasty cakes for them. I would decorate them with colored sugar and other such confectionaries and just look at them once I was done, that in itself used to be a liberating experience for me.”

Ingredients to whip up magical delights

So for all those of you who find the pressures of life getting too much, take a pause and indulge in a cooking spree for once. You just may find a necessary respite in the art of cooking and joy in the act of sharing.