For some of us, our kitchen is our sanctuary. With the perfect ingredients of creativity, focus, and mindfulness, you can bake away all your problems and feel your spirits rise.
A study published in the International Journal of Humanities and Social Science revealed that cooking could be immensely therapeutic since it causes your sense of time to dim as well as alter your sense of consciousness.
However, to realize these benefits, your kitchen must look like a peaceful sanctuary as well. A cluttered and unorganized kitchen can lower your spirits rather than uplift them. Therefore, there are various aspects you must get right to make you happier in your kitchen.
Here are the eight simple and easily implementable things.
1. Declutter
Lets begin with the most basic yet essential thing you must do to your kitchen declutter it! Did you know, according to psychologists of the University of California, people with messy kitchens are more likely to eat unhealthy junk food than those with an organized kitchen?
To maintain your health and hence a positive mood, make sure to organize your kitchen. This will ensure that you dont waste time looking for different ingredients, which in turn, usually takes the fun out of cooking.
Declutter by spending 30 minutes every day reorganizing and tidying up your kitchen. This will help you better know what food you have, hence making food shopping much more effective.
2. Invest in necessary tools
You dont want to enter any battle ill-equipped. Treat your kitchen as a war zone. You are waging war against your hunger and your foul mood! To be victorious, make sure you have all the right tools with you.
No, we arent just talking about ingredients and basic utensils. You must also buy items like measuring cups, baking pans, a cake decorating kit, rolling pins, and anything else that can come in handy for a therapeutic baking session.
3. Sharp knives
There is nothing more frustrating and annoying than trying to cut meat with a knife that wouldnt do the task! It is safe to say that your knives are a crucial tool, which comes in handy for various dishes, whether savoury or sweet.
Hence, always have sharp knives. This will help reduce your ingredient prepping time and keep frustration at bay. Does this mean you need to purchase utensils every time your blades lose their sharpness? Not at all! All you need to do is get a sharpening tool to hone your knives between uses.
4. Stock up
To be happy in your kitchen, you need to have a full pantry. Just like people are satisfied on a full stomach, your kitchen is best when fully stocked. After all, this allows you to cook whatever you want without realizing that you are running short of certain ingredients.
Give your pantry the attention it needsstocks up all the necessary non-perishable items. Also, go on a grocery run every week to purchase the required fruits and vegetables. The best way to store things is by creating a meal plan for the month beforehand.
5. Read recipes carefully
Unless you are a master chef or a pro in making a given dish, the best way to be happy in your kitchen is to spend considerable time reading recipes before you begin cooking.
Yes, this part is the most tedious step of cooking. But, it helps you avoid the disappointment that stems from a poorly cooked meal despite your hard work. Additionally, reading recipes also allows you to gauge the time required for preparation. Therefore, you can align your cooking with the rest of your hectic schedule.
For instance, if pasta requires a speciality sauce that takes 2 hours to make, you probably shouldnt make it when you are ravenous after coming home from a hectic day at work!
6. Listen to something you like
For those of you who consider cooking as a chore, the chances are that your kitchen is not your happy place. In this case, try to associate cooking with something you like.
Listen to your favorite podcast or show when working. Even if it just plays in the background, it can help you feel much more relaxed than before! Dont be afraid to belt out your favorite songs. Your kitchen could be your stage if you want it to be.
7. Invent your concoctions
Once you feel comfortable with cooking, you can bid your cookbooks goodbye and use your cooking as a means of releasing your creativity. Experiment with different ingredients, flavors, and techniques to create your specialty.
While it does take time to perfect a recipe, once you do achieve the feat, you are bound to feel exhilarated. We recommend this strategy to those who have enough budget to spend on experiments and those who are not easily demotivated due to failure.
8. Invite others
Do you feel happier when surrounded by people? If so, invite them over for a fun cooking day! A lot of us associate the kitchen with childhood memories of watching and helping our parents cook food. You can easily create new memories with your partner or friends even when you grow up.
Assign different tasks to your partner or friends depending on their capabilities. Use this opportunity as means to bonding with your loved ones. This way, you will get a chance to spend quality time with one another and get a delicious meal by the end of it as well!
Let the cooking begin!
You can make any space your happy place if you equip it with the right things and approach the task with positivity. It is already proven to be an excellent outlet for relaxation and mindfulness when it comes to cooking.
Do these simple things and watch as you become happier in your kitchen. So, gather your ingredients from your well-stocked pantry, invite some friends over, sharpen your knives, put some music on and have fun!
