Cooking for Mental Health
Hi! My name is Parmis Sanaei and I am a third year student here at MiraCosta as well as a Mental Health Peer Educator. I am majoring in Social Work and Human Services. I have found a love and passion for cooking not just for tasty food, but as a means to sustain my mental health and create a healthy relationship with food.
Not everyone enjoys the activity of cooking - the amount of dishes you have to clean up after, the food preparation, all the dedicated time, and not to mention, the risk of creating something that doesn’t taste so good. As students, it can be even harder having access to different ingredients and cooking at home on top of balancing a full-time schedule can be difficult. But, researchers have learned that cooking has so many benefits for not just our physical health, but for our mental health as well. No matter if you’re making Kraft Macaroni and Cheese all the time or testing out a new recipe from scratch, cooking allows you to practice mindfulness, self-care, and sustainability. After reading this article, I hope that you are at least a little inspired to make a meal from scratch!
The Benefits of Cooking
Exercising your Creativity
A 2016 study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that people who engage in creative pursuits — writing, doodling, singing, cooking — appear to lead happier lives. By cooking at home, you engage your creative side by experimenting with different ingredients and testing out new recipes, no matter if they are a success or fail. The presentation of your food can also be a great way to use your creativity and create an appealing dish to the eye.Connection to others
Cooking for your friends, family, or your loved ones can be a positive experience that uplifts your community as well as your self-esteem and altruism. You have the opportunity to further develop relationships and improve communication by delegating a different task to each person!Sustainability
By cooking at home, you will be doing better for the environment as well. By sourcing your ingredients and using less energy than most commercial restaurants, you can eliminate food waste and have a lower environmental impact. Doing good for the planet makes you feel good!Mindfulness
When you're cooking, you must be constantly focused, prepping ingredients, stirring the roux (or whatever you're cooking), adjusting the seasoning, monitoring the cooking process—all of which can be helpful techniques in keeping your mind off of things it's better not to focus on. It's a bit like meditation, but with tastier output, and can be very useful in treating some forms of mental illness.Behavioral activation
Psychologists believe that cooking and baking are therapeutic because they fit a type of therapy known as “behavioral activation.” These activities alleviate depression by "increasing goal oriented behavior and curbing procrastination." Cooking can help people focus on a task, which can give them a sense of power and control that they might not naturally have on their own in their daily lives outside the kitchen.Tips for Cooking at Home
- Try your best to cook your meals with fruits and vegetables that are in-season - they are usually cheaper during this time and full of nutrients!
- Have faith in yourself - everyone starts somewhere!
- Throw on some music or a podcast to help elevate your experience
- Take a glance of what’s in your pantry beforehand and figure what to make from it
Resources
Check out our CARE Program at MiraCosta that is committed to taking a holistic approach to help students succeed while addressing any challenges they may be experiencing meeting their basic needs such as food, housing, transportation, mental health, childcare, legal aid, etc.On-campus and off-campus resources are often provided to students to help meet their short-term and long-term needs with the goal of improving the outcomes of their academic and personal success!
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