Stress Relief and Self Care-Want Stress Relief? Try Baking!

 Let's continue on with our series on stress relief and self-care. Today let's take a look at Baking and Stress Relief.

So how can baking reduce your stress, you may ask?  According to a site called Teeo Creations, baking is a form of comfort and also a distraction from our stress.  This distraction from whatever is causing our stress helps us decrease the stress hormones that come along with excess stress, at least momentarily.  Baking can give us a break from our stress and anxiety. Here is a quote from their site...

"A study conducted by the University of Toronto found that baking is good for your mental health. The study found that participants who baked “felt less stressed, had more patience, 

and were more creative than those who didn’t bake.”

According to Step One Charity...

"Baking has been shown to be extremely beneficial for boosting mental health, with advantages such as enhanced mindfulness, satisfaction, and sensory pleasure. Bakers who suffer from depression or other mood disorders turn to baking as a form of therapy to relieve stress and anxiety because they it’s a way to re-focus on something other than what is troubling them."

Step One Charity goes on to say that baking is meditative, stimulates the senses, is creative, puts the baker in control, and increases your self-confidence. All of these things can help us decrease our stress levels and can even bring us joy.

Not it is time to test the theory that baking is a form of stress relief.  First, I am headed over to Pinterest to find a recipe or two. 

I am going to make a Coffee Cake From The Chunky Chef...Sour Cream Coffee Cake. I will also try Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies from Harbor Breeze Home.

One nice thing about baking is that it is not only a means of stress relief, but you can share the love with others by sharing your baked goods with others.  So it is a plus for everyone.  I will be sharing the end product with friends and family.

Do you find baking a form of stress relief?  What is your favorite thing to bake?

Wishing you a calm and relaxing day!

KathieyV