When You're Feeling Down
Cooking or baking has become a common cure for stress, but there might actually be some science to why small creative tasks might make people feel better. According to a study, a little creativity each day can go a long way towards happiness and satisfaction in the bustle (喧闹) of daily life.
The study, published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, suggests that people who frequently take a turn at small, creative projects report feeling more relaxed and happier in their everyday lives. The researchers followed 658 people for about two weeks, and found that doing small, everyday things like cooking and baking made the group feel more achievable the next day. By following detailed diaries kept by the study subjects, the researchers found that in addition to feeling happier, people who worked on little creative projects every day also felt they were "flourishing"—a psychological (心理的) term that describes the feeling of personal growth. That could mean that the good feeling that comes with pulling a freshly-baked loaf of bread out of the oven could carry over into the next day, making that baker more likely to keep on with their little acts of creative cooking.
"When I'm in the kitchen, measuring the amount of sugar or butter I need for a recipe (食谱) or breaking the exact number of eggs—I am in control," said baker John Whaite. "That's really important as a key element of my condition is a feeling of no control. "
For people like Whaite, who was diagnosed with manic depression in 2005, baking can help their mood by providing small tasks to focus on. In order to put together a good meal, cooks have to be constantly in the moment, adding ingredients, adjusting the heat of the stove and tasting their food to make sure everything will come out all right—all of which can be helpful in treating some forms of mental (精神的) illness.
"A lot of us turn to baking when we're feeling low," says Melanie Denyer, the founder of the Depressed Cake Shop, a bakery designed to pay attention to mental health conditions. "There is something very therapeutic (治疗性的) about baking. "
Baking may not be a be-all-end-all cure for mental illness, but anyone in need of lifted spirits should consider pulling out the flour and warming up the oven.
