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Baking the blues away! Small, practical things that can make a big difference to your mental health
There are very few things in life that cake can’t help with. You may think this is quite a broad statement, but I stand by it. It’s not just the eating of it, though. There are various enjoyable stages: planning which cake you’d like to bake or eat, exploring new ingredients, the baking process and then… the best bit. Nope, not eating it (although you’re not far off), but sharing it.
As I write this blog, it’s World Mental Health Day; next week, in the UK, it’s National Baking Week.
As mental health is very much in the spotlight, here’s some advice on how to support positive mental wellbeing from a very different, somewhat unusual perspective. Baking is the perfect example, especially as the Mental Health Foundation are encouraging people to come together to talk and support others through ‘Tea and Talk’ Days (you can bring the cake).
This is because talking is good for our mental health; talking about our understanding of it, what we can do to support our own mental health and that of the people around us, and when to ask for help. Also, being surrounded by people we care about and the support we get from them helps reduce our stress chemicals, positively impacting our wellbeing.
So, what is mental health?
The World Health Organisation describes it as:
In the same way we have physical health, we have mental health. And in much the same way our physical health can take a downturn, so can our mental health. Whilst there are many conscious behaviours that we do to support positive physical health (such as washing hands, exercising, and watching what we eat), most don’t consciously think about the behaviours that support their mental wellbeing. Yet it’s regular, positive wellbeing habits that help build our resilience for when times get tough.
What behaviours support positive mental wellbeing?
- Eating nutritious food
- Moving/exercising regularly
- Setting up a positive sleep routine
- Making time for rest and relaxation
- Meditation or mindfulness
- Investing time in things that give us purpose and enjoyment.
- Maintaining positive social connections
I’m sure none of the above will come as a surprise to you, and whilst the idea of managing just one of these things might seem like an uphill struggle, it doesn’t have to. It’s small, easy steps for big positive changes.
Small steps, big changes
The trouble is that existing, unhelpful behaviours tend to be habits that are ingrained, and in times of stress, that’s what we resort to. Therefore, according to James Clear – author of Atomic Habits - to give ourselves the best chance for success, we need to make new habits obvious, easy, attractive and satisfying.
Hence, baking, where you can:
- Plan a recipe which is both nutritious as well as delicious – and for the cynics out there, nowadays, there are many healthier options which don’t compromise on taste.
- Practice mindfulness by concentrating on the recipe and bringing about a meditative state when combining the ingredients.
- Give yourself a mini workout - ditch the electric beaters for an old-fashioned fork or whisk (it hurts!) Or dance around the kitchen whilst the cake is in the oven.
- A sense of achievement and a flood of positive neurotransmitters in the brain when your delicious end product emerges from the oven.
- Popping around to a neighbour, or visiting a friend, and sharing the fruits of your efforts with them.
Who knows, if you do it often enough, you might end up on Bake Off and get a Hollywood Handshake!
Baking, of course, is not to everyone’s tastes, but it demonstrates that positive behaviours and healthy choices needn’t be a chore.
Neither do they have to be as time-consuming as baking. The easiest way to apply a new habit is to link it to an existing one. If you want to do more exercise, start with ten press-ups, push-ups or squats just before you brush your teeth in the morning.
Get fresh air by taking your morning cuppa outside, and maybe chat with your neighbour whilst you’re at it?! Or, instead of eating a biscuit or chocolate with your mid-morning cuppa, choose fruit or even a slice of your healthy, baked creation! Winning.
If you’d like some information about our sessions to support wellbeing and mental health in the workplace, contact doug@laughology.co.uk. He is also quite partial to cake, so any contributions are most welcome.
Laura Drury is determined to help as many people as possible experience what positive psychology can do for them. Over the past eleven years, she’s created, delivered and facilitated various training programmes at all levels within the public and private sectors. She also loves baking (as you might have guessed), and she rests easy in the knowledge that if all else fails, there will always be cake.
