Expert Article

Can baking help the blues?

:Taking "food as medicine" very literal.

Let's imagine a scenario. It's a Tuesday, and you are having a mediocre day. Your body and mind are tired and stressed out from life. The only thought in your head is to go home and relax. But when you make it home, your head is still filled with stress from the outside world. Does this sound familiar? Well, it does for me and many others as we try to find a way to disconnect for a moment. We always find ourselves going to the gym, the TV, or any other task to help destress. People need a distraction from life, and baking has provided that for me. I find myself making an orange pound cake when I'm depressed or mixing batter for cookies when I'm anxious. Though this method of self-care isn't as valuable as therapy, baking has many benefits we do not notice.


Being alive today can be stressful. It's important to take the time to detach ourselves from the outside world and be in the moment. Some people use their hobbies like reading a book, sports, and others as a moment to escape life. Though these activities are great, I encourage people to try baking once! Some may feel that baking is outside their skill sets, but learning is easy and fun. Plus, you get to eat the end product. You can get a cake mix to make some cupcakes or gather some friends to cook something from scratch. But what's great about baking is that it can make your taste buds and your mood feel better. If I still need to convince you, let me tell you why it is essential to do daily activities like baking and the mental benefits of being in the kitchen.



What the science tells us



Self-care practices may seem to be not valuable to others. However, we greatly benefit from doing creative tasks in ways we do not notice. A study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology suggests that people who frequently do creative activities feel more relaxed and content in their everyday lives. After following 600+ participants for two weeks, the researchers discovered that completing simple, daily tasks made people feel more enthusiastic the following day (Conner, Tamlin, et al., 2016). When they gathered reports of their participant's emotional state daily, they found higher levels of eagerness and flourishment. The most popular tasks among those were baking and cooking. Being busy in the kitchen, along with other hobbies like knitting, and creative writing, was shown to be "a means of cultivating positive psychological functioning" (Meager, 2016). Plus, it does help ease the blues when you have a red velvet cake baking in the oven.


Overall, the new study shows the importance of doing every day creative activities. Also, the positive effect of completing a task on the previous day helps predict your well-being for the next (Meager, 2016) . So, baking and other fun interests can positively increase your mood and creativity. This idea is not surprising, as cooking greatly reduces stress and gives a sense of accomplishment. What's more, many people with clinical depression report temporary relief after engaging in exercises or activities (Meager, 2016).


Also, having physically and mentally engaging activities like cooking falls under behavioral activation therapy (BA). BA aims to reduce depressive symptoms by locating the causes of one's emotional distress in their surroundings. ("Behavioral Activation Therapy", 1991 ). Hence, any daily positive actions that seem normal, like setting up to work in the kitchen, can help.



So what's so special about baking?



Baking out of many of those activities has a unique relationship with helping depression and anxiety. The reason is that scientists have found a link between baking and mental health.


Norman Sussman, the director of the Treatment Resistant Depression Program at the NYU School of Medicine, encourages people to cook or bake when feeling down. Doing this activity helps overcome some of the symptoms of depression. Depression is related to inertia, the lack of energy, the lack of focus, and the lack of interest (Conner, 2016) . Of course, having a daily hobby helps take all of your attention away, and clears your mind. But what makes cooking and baking unique is that it requires a sensory awareness of everything: taste, touch, smell, sound, and sight (Conner, 2016) . Plus, you get to put effort into producing something tangible, which can be a therapeutic tool. And the best part is that you get to eat it!


Even John Whaite, who won "The Great British Bake Off" said that baking and being in the kitchen gave him a level of control and focus that provided him with a form of meditation (Lewis, 2016). Whaite is diagnosed with manic depression, and having no power is a key element of the condition (Lewis, 2016). So, it led him to take cooking as a hobby and use it as a helpful coping mechanism.


Also, healthcare clinics and therapists use this as a tool and have begun creating Culinary therapy. This idea is similar to music and art therapy. They have found that participants have had positive experiences while participating in this. It takes a real practical need and turns it into a method of coping with anxiety and depression by living in the moment.


Rather than just making a cake or cookies just because you're hungry. This activity can become a way of self-care and relieve symptoms of mental health issues. Of course, having too much sugar and eating sugar every day is not the best for your health. Nevertheless, there are some great recipes that are healthy, vegan, and easy. So, you can still be in the kitchen without your health doctor being too mad. Though it doesn't equal the value of therapy or medication provides, it can greatly improve your mental health. So, when you're in a bad mood and want to stay indoors. Science says to channel your inner Julia Child and bake. And you might feel better and end up with a load of delicious baked goods in your oven.

Work cited:

“Behavioral Activation Therapy.” Christopher Martell :: Behavioral Activation Therapy, 1991, https://www.christophermartell.com/ba.php.

Conner, Jackson. “Learning to Cook Is Helping Me Battle Depression.” VICE, 19 Mar. 2016, https://www.vice.com/en/article/9a8vaz/learning-to-cook-is-helping-me-battle-depression.

Conner, Tamlin, et al. “Creative Activities Promote Day-to-Day Wellbeing: Otago Research.” University of Otago, 23 Nov. 2016, https://www.otago.ac.nz/news/news/otago627504.html.

Magazine, Smithsonian. “Feeling down? Scientists Say Cooking and Baking Could Help You Feel Better.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 29 Nov. 2016, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/feeling-down-scientists-say-cooking-and-baking-may-help-you-feel-better-180961223/.

        Meager, Daisy. “In a Shitty Mood? Scientists Say You Should Bake.” VICE, 25 Nov. 2016,                         https://www.vice.com/en/article/d7kpmz/in-a-shitty-mood-scientists-say-you-should-bake.