Originally written for The HLP App
Mindful cooking is a really effective way of lowering stress, expressing yourself creatively, all whilst exploring a potential new hobby and making something (potentially) delicious in the process.
But what exactly is it, and how is it so effective?
In short, mindful cooking is taking care and consideration over every step of the cooking process; preparing a meal with patience, open-mindedness and love. If you’d like to see an example of mindful cooking, scroll to the walkthrough section at the bottom of the article.
What is mindfulness?
We need to define mindfulness before we can learn to mindfully cook. Mindfulness, simply put, is the act of being deliberately or consciously aware of something.
Jon Kabat-Zin, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine puts it this way:
“Mindfulness is an awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally.”
Mindfulness is listening to your body, hearing what your senses are telling you, and allowing yourself to think about or appreciate those feelings in the moment. Take a second to notice the feeling of your clothes on your body, do they make you feel warm? Can you hear any birds in the distance, or smell the trees?
Practicing mindfulness is a way of grounding you in the present moment, making you more appreciative and aware of what’s around you. If you want to learn more about mindfulness, head to the toolkit in the app – there’s plenty of guides and tips to get you started.
Applying mindfulness to cooking
One of the really great things about cooking is that it involves all of your senses. There’s so much to take in, so applying mindfulness to preparing a meal can be easy, as well as therapeutic.
Cooking comes with its own stress busting qualities even without applying mindfulness. Anxiety and Stress experts tell us that cooking is very effective when it comes to taking your mind away from stressful events. Anxiety doctor Trevor Schraufnagel says that cooking can offer “an immersive and sensory-rich activity to take one’s mind off the perceived dangers of one’s life”.
Here's a little checklist to get you started:
Take in how the food looks, think about all the different colours, shapes and sizes
Think about the texture of the food, the feel on your hands, and how it feels to eat
Listen to the sound the food makes when you’re preparing it, the sizzles
Take in all the smells that the cooking produces
And last but certainly not least, how does it taste?
I gave mindful cooking a try, and now it’s a must-do in my routine. It allowed me to have parts of a day where I really free my mind from the stresses and worries of the day, whilst taking care of myself in the process. On top of this, I’m developing my skills and creativity at the same time. I felt my stress levels drop, and as a bonus, I found something new to be joyful about.
Give it a try!
Start tonight with a simple recipe, or make one of your favourite meals. Mindful cooking can be a cornerstone of your stress busting routine; you can start your day the right way with a mindful breakfast, or unwind after work by making a mindful dinner.
Cooking allows you to take risks and get creative. And on top of everything, you’ve done something nice for yourself! By preparing something (hopefully) tasty, you’ve completed an act of self-care.
Grab some ingredients, put everything else aside, and give mindful cooking a go.
Walkthrough
I mindfully made a chicken caesar salad last night. Here’s how I did it.
I stopped everything I was doing and thinking about before and took a deep breath
I started by getting all of my ingredients out beforehand, instead of as-and-when I needed them. This way, I could focus all of my concentration on cooking, instead of darting around the kitchen
I mostly followed a recipe, but grabbed a few extra herbs, spices, and some lemon juice so I could experiment
I seasoned the chicken and used my hands to make sure it was covered. I felt the texture of the chicken change and become more floury
Every time I washed my hands, I listened to the water splash in the sink, and felt my hands become colder and cleaner
I cooked the chicken on a low heat, and listened to a slow build-up of sizzling and bubbling
I felt the air around me get warmer, and the kitchen started to smell of the combination of herbs and spices I’d picked out – it reminded me of an outdoor food market I went to in Portugal
I felt the wet crunch of red onions and tomatoes underneath my hand and I diced them up
I smelt a strong, sharp tangy smell from the vegetables
To make croutons, I spread some butter and sprinkled garlic over some crusty bread that I then put in the oven – it got a little bit too hot, so I opened the back door felt the cool air soothe my skin
I washed the lettuce in the sink, and felt the lukewarm water cover the rubbery and bumpy leaves, running my hands over every groove and impression
I diced the baked bread into croutons, and I noticed how the shape and texture changed, as one thing became several things
I enjoyed the warmth of the baked bread on my hands
I lovingly bought everything together in a bowl, adding the dressing and sriracha sauce, which added a splash of white and red to my little food canvas
I ate. I savoured every mouthful, remembering the tang, the Portuguese market, and the garlic smells
I felt the different textures coming together
After all of this, I thought to myself: “I did that. I gave myself that gift”. I put my hands into soapy water and began to wash up, a bit more fulfilled, and my mind quiet.
Sources
Comments