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Cooking Up Stress Relief:
Perhaps it shows through
your fidgeting, your nail-biting, or your sleepless nights. You feel
as if you are under a great deal of stress, and you are searching
for relief. While there are many stress reduction strategies you could
use, perhaps one of the best is one of the easiest: cooking.
Cooking is an art as well as a science.
It takes a great deal of patience and persistence to become an excellent
cook, and some of your experiments will inevitably end up in the wastebasket
or down the garbage disposal. Yet, there is something incredibly relaxing
about sautéing onions, grilling chicken, or barbecuing pork.
You can become mesmerized by the scent of your culinary sensations.
The process of stirring, chopping, or slicing can be highly therapeutic.
You can feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of a good meal which
can further reduce your stress level.
If you plan to take up cooking as
a serious hobby, it is best if you begin by purchasing a good cookbook.
There are even cookbooks that promise you stress-free entertaining.
Selecting the cookbook can be a relaxing experience in and of itself.
Usually, cookbooks are loaded with interesting, eye-catching pictures.
You can also pore over delicious recipes, imagining how to prepare
them in your kitchen.
Next, you might want to invest in
some sensible cooking supplies. This will help to alleviate your stress
when the time to cook arrives. Make sure that you have aprons, a grater,
a good set of knives, a colander, an array of sauce pans and skillets,
and a collection of interesting plates to set your creations on. The
better prepared you are, the less stress you will experience in the
kitchen.
Then, it’s time to head to
the grocery store. It’s best if you have prepared a list in
advance based upon the recipes you hope to make. This will save you
time, stress, and possibly money at the supermarket. Make sure that
you schedule enough time to go through the grocery store—you
don’t want to be rushed. In addition to the items needed for
your recipes, it’s a good idea to pick up some staples. For
instance, you should always have flour, sugar, milk, eggs, and a collection
of spices on hand.
In order to minimize your stress
level, it’s best if you can start by preparing meals for yourself
or for close family members. After you become proficient, you might
want to graduate to dinner parties, but don’t expect to produce
a seven-course meal during your first few attempts at gourmet cooking.
Select menu items that appeal to you; chances are they will appeal
to your family as well.
Another possible stress-reducer is
a cooking class. Such classes are often offered at local community
centers, YWCAs, or community colleges. Don’t take the course
for credit—take it for fun. The idea is to have a relaxing time
by the stove. You’ll enjoy camaraderie with other students and
you might even socialize with them after class. Taking a course can
expand your horizons, helping you to become a well-rounded person.
It is true that cooking can be stressful.
After all, if you have five children to feed, you’re low on
food, and you have a baby who’s crying, meal time can be stress
time. However, if you permit yourself plenty of time to cook, you
choose recipes that you enjoy, and you look at it as a hobby rather
than drudgery, cooking can be quite relaxing and can actually help
lower your blood pressure.
One thing you’ll want to watch
when cooking is portion control. If you make too much pasta, you might
be tempted to overeat, causing health problems on down the road. Also,
it can be important to cook meals that are heart-healthy and that
are not loaded with sugar and calories. Otherwise, you could face
the stress of battling a weight problem. However, if you make sure
that you cook plenty of vegetable dishes, you limit the number of
desserts you prepare, and you keep close track of your carbohydrate
intake, cooking can be a pleasant, stress-reducing experience. The
more practiced you become at gourmet cooking, the more you will look
forward to it, and the less stressed you will feel.
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