So I have a high stress job and like other type A people, I watch the Ted and Oprah talks on finding balance, I do yoga, I meditate, I feed my spirt and my body with healthy things. Still I often turn to another remedy.
Baking
Especially multistep – your apartment smells like lemon zest and vanilla all day – baking.
It provides many benefits enumerated below:
- I get to feel proactive by planning what I’m going to bake
- I get to experience the indulgence of shopping even if it’s just for sugar, butter and eggs
- I work out some frustration with all the hand mixing and dishwashing
- I get to slow down, clear my thoughts and focus because of the many steps and assembly required
- I can be creative with the flavors I use and decorations
- I get a sense of accomplishment when I finish, everything is washed up and my place smells like caramelized sugar and butter
- Later on I get to share my cakes, breads and pies with others which prolongs my feelings of happiness, especially when the specter of my quietly demolishing an entire pie alone is a very VERY real possibility.
So while going for a run or venting and laughing with friends will probably never leave my repertoire of coping mechanisms. I think baking has it’s place too.
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