Do you ever wonder why you can’t help but smile as you whip up tasty treats in your home’s kitchen? From pre-heating the oven, mixing the dry and wet ingredients, and up until you hear that satisfying “ding,” you can already feel the atmosphere lighten up and your mood lifted.
Whether you’re just casual baker or a dedicated savant in the fantastic world of baked food, experiencing the joy of baking is undeniable.
Baking can be therapeutic and empowering. It can seem a little strange to grasp how baking can be a form meditation and a source for joy at first glance. But bakers can see and feel more while they’re baking. It’s both science and art.
The methodical mixing of ingredients and adding precise measurements can be relaxing, knowing that you’re creating your next baked masterpiece.
To some, baking can be reminiscent of Julia Child’s masterful pastry dishes or childhood memories filled with freshly baked cookies and mouth-watering lasagna.
Others feel a surge of delightful nostalgia as they travel back in time back to the days of mom and grandma’s original recipes.
You can even smell the familiar fragrant of pies and cakes in the oven and sharing a hearty meal with the family—that is the joy of baking.
A study by the Journal of Positive Psychology has revealed how you can achieve your creative goals and promote your well-being.
These goals can also be achieved when you are creative and stimulated by tasks such as baking and cooking. Haley and McKay shared their thoughts on how baking can be a way to learn new skills in a similar study.
Participants in the study felt more confident, productive, and self-assured. Surprisingly, individuals in acute mental healthcare inpatient units can also benefit from the beauty and satisfaction of baking.
Julia Ponsonby, author of Mindful Baking: Bringing the Heart to the HearthShe explained how one can discover the joy of baking. She shares a thoughtful message about how baking can be a meditation that can provide physical, mental and social benefits.
Baking, a form of culinary art therapy, can also be used to treat depression, anxiety, and other addictions.
You might be wondering, “What is the secret to baking being so relaxing and captivating?” Farmer, Touchton-Leonard, and Ross probed on cooking and baking’s benefits to one’s well-being. Participants felt empowered and engaged during the study.
They also felt their self-esteem increased. The study’s respondents elaborated on how producing a product they could keep or give away to others as being “It’s rewarding and very beneficial.”
Altruism can make baking more enjoyable and bring out the beauty and satisfaction of baking. As you bake, you become more focused and hopeful that the effort you’ve poured while baking is the reason for someone’s smile.
In every part of the world, cooking for someone is deemed as a thoughtful gesture–whether you’re welcoming someone in a home, showing a kind gesture, or expressing your gratitude.
Catching the baking bug can also be a means to express what can’t be said on words. Susan Whitbourne, professor of psychology and brain sciences at University of Massachusetts, explained that the simple desire to share food with others is a great way of building a connection, evoking selflessness, and loving one another.
Baking is a great hobby that allows you to express yourself and your creativity.
The process of making the dough, curating all the ingredients, as well as establishing a rhythm, allows you to express your passion while enjoying the joy and benefits of baking.
It even becomes more heartfelt if you’re serving the whole family. Nothing beats the happiness of seeing your loved ones relish the baked treats you’ve worked hard to prepare. Be sure to keep your sugar levels under control!
