As we take on more stress and responsibility in our lives like work, school, being present in our families, finding ways to de-stress or unwind becomes an essential part of self-care and self-preservation. Outside of advertisements for Pilates, goat yoga, or meditation classes, stress relief can be achieved from the comfort of your home or more specifically, your kitchen. Cooking has proven benefits for mental health, and it doesn’t have to be complex or time-consuming to make a positive impact on your mood. Here’s how spending time preparing a meal can become a soothing, enjoyable way to boost your well-being. 

How is cooking a powerful tool for stress relief? 

Engaging in the process of creating a meal helps you slow down and concentrate on something simple and rewarding. Here are a few ways that cooking can help improve your mood and ease stress: 

• A creative outlet with Tangible results: Cooking can help you explore creativity at your own pace. Trying new recipes or integrating unique ingredients into meals can bring a sense of accomplishment without external pressures. Completing a recipe can have positive effects on mood and overall well-being (Conner et al., 2018). Cooking has the ability to tap into the same mental relaxation experienced universally while engaging in creative hobbies like painting or gardening (Camic et al., 2015)  

• Mindfulness in the kitchen: While cooking we tend to follow a recipe or some step-by-step process that requires our full attention, this can bring a sense of mindfulness and focus on the present moment. As we chop, mince, stir, and mix, we focus on simple achievable tasks. The act of engaging in cooking mindfully has been shown to reduce stress hormones such as cortisol (Shonin, Van Gordin, & Griffiths, 2014) 

Tips for cooking to relieve stress: 

• Start with a simple recipe: don’t strive to make overly complicated or high-stake recipes that leave room for worrying about making mistakes or taking a misstep in your process. Some simple and delicious dishes like stir-fries, pastas, or a nutrient dense salad can be effective in the process of de-stressing without creating more stress 

• Don’t be afraid to set boundaries in the kitchen: if you prefer to work alone let it be known! Cooking can be a group or individual effort. 

• Avoid striving for perfection: Enjoy each step of the way rather than focusing on the feedback you receive, gaining positive feedback from others is a bonus! What matters is what you experience during this process. 

Recipe for *simple* Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry: 

1. In a Wok or Skillet, use your preferred oil or a shallow bed of water and put your stove on medium heat 

2. Once the oil or water is hot (to the point of hearing a sizzle when adding ingredients) add your Chicken. 

3. Season your meat with soy sauce, garlic, and pepper 

4. Once the meat is cooked through add a drizzle of honey and let it sear for about a minute 

5. Remove the chicken from the heat into a separate bowl 

6. Reduce the heat on the stove and add more oil or water if necessary 

7. To the wok or skillet, add in your vegetables, if you have vegetables that take longer to cook like mushrooms or broccoli, cook separately from other veggies or cook them first before adding in thinner vegetables 

8. Season them the same as the chicken, 

9. Once vegetables are tender, reduce heat and re-add in your chicken 

After mixing your vegetables and chicken together you can serve as is or pair it with rice or noodles 

Ingredient list:  

Cubed chicken 

Mushrooms 

Broccoli 

Green beans 

Carrots 

Soy sauce 

Sesame oil 

Garlic powder 

Honey  

Pepper  

Camic, P. M., Baker, E. L., & Tischler, V. (2015). Theorizing how art gallery interventions impact people with dementia and their caregivers. The Gerontologist, 55(6), 1031-1041. 

Conner, T. S., DeYoung, C. G., & Silvia, P. J. (2018). Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 13(2), 181-189. 

Shonin, E., Van Gordon, W., & Griffiths, M. D. (2014). Mindfulness as a treatment for behavioral addiction. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 3(2), 125-132. 

By: Daniela Belfoure, Quintessential Health Doctoral Intern