If the thought of cooking seems very overwhelming right now, I completely understand.
Any time we’re trying something new or different, it can feel like an uphill battle in the beginning. When it comes to cooking, I promise you that the benefits far outweigh the overwhelming initial feelings.
Aside from the obvious reasons such as feeding yourself and others, cooking has several advantages that can greatly enrich your life.
How Cooking Can Greatly Improve Your Life
1. builds connection
Connection is something we all crave and need. We long for connection with other humans.
A home-cooked meal is a great excuse to invite people over (and into your life). Whether you can cook an old favorite meal, or make a new dish, you can practice your cooking skills. This will help improve your confidence in the kitchen.
You could even start a monthly club (kind of like a book club, but with food). To do this, you would invite a small group of friends over to share a meal and conversation.
2. provides a creative outlet
Whether you work a job that doesn’t allow you to be creative, or you need a creative outlet, I’d encourage you to start cooking.
Aside from balancing the 5 basic tastes in cooking, there are not many rules to follow. When you learn to cook more intuitively and less with recipes, it allows for a lot more creativity and freedom.
What exactly is intuitive cooking? You learn to rely on your tastebuds and your intuition. You can then play around with different flavors to see what pairs well together.
3. reduces stress
If you’re stressed about something, put some music on, and step into the kitchen.
Cooking is a great form of therapy. It helps you to focus on the task at hand, leaving less time to think about what you’re stressing over.
You’ll be surprised at how much calmer you feel after a few minutes in the kitchen.
4. improves health (and mood)
It took me many years to realize the connection between the food I was eating and how I was feeling.
Once I leaned into that connection, I started adjusting my cooking to fit my individual needs. This not only improved my health but tremendously elevated my mood as well.
Learning how to cook healthier meals with simple ingredients that bring you both nourishment and joy is key. This will not only boost your mood but your overall health too.
5. saves money
Cooking at home saves you so much money. Going out to eat often can start to add up really fast. The more you cook your own meals at home, the more money you’ll save.
The more you improve your cooking skills, the less often you’ll want to go out to eat. Anything you would get at a restaurant, you can make at home for a quarter of the price.
PRO-TIP
If you’ve had your eye on a specific restaurant for a while, look at the menu. What you would get if you were to dine there?
Instead of going to the restaurant, head to the store and see if you can recreate the dish that you would have ordered out.
With the leftover money, you can spend it on something you truly need or want later on that will give you a little more bang for your buck (travel, self-care days, etc).
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