Why baking for others is good for you

If you are the type of person who whips up a batch of brownies, cookies, or cupcakes for every occasion, you probably already realize the benefits of baking for others. Baking can help relieve stress and providing food to loved ones is a way to express emotions that are sometimes not easy to put into words. Psychiatrists and scientists explain these phenomena in a recent Huffington Post article. 

To help understand how baking can help our mental health because it is a creative outlet much the same as painting or music. Ciana Pincus, a professors at Boston University, explains it like this: “There’s a lot of literature for connection between creative expression and overall wellbeing. Whether it’s painting or it’s making music [or baking], there is a stress relief that people get from having some kind of an outlet and a way to express themselves.” 

We can also think of baking as an act of mindfulness, a concept that has been given much attention as of late. All of the measuring, mixing, and rolling of dough requires us to be in the moment and focusing on the process, acting almost as a kind of meditation. 

Giving the baked goods to others can also be beneficial. The act is a form of altruismm and the  benefits of altruistic actions have been extensively researched and reported. So what are you waiting for? Head into the kitchen to bake something sweet or savory to share with your friends and family, like the Apricot, walnut and lavender cake pictured above.