Image credit: WE – Rolling Pins
This week is mental health awareness week, and over the years, we have grown to talk about mental health more than we have ever done before. Whatever your family role, gender, occupation, age – mental health can affect anyone, which is why it’s so important to talk about how we are feeling with each other. It’s not always easy – but sometimes, sharing something and getting it off your chest can help you to feel less alone in a situation. It’s also important for all of us as individuals to listen to others when they are talking to us about anything they might be struggling with, so that we can support each other in times of need.
Along with talking more openly about our feelings, it can also be great to find ways of relaxing that help us feel less stressed. We have discovered that baking is one of those things for many people – and as we spend a lot of time creating recipes and baking for our cocoa corner, we thought we would look into how baking in particular can be good for our mental health.
- Baking stimulates the senses
When we bake, we are getting messy with a lot of different tastes, textures, and smells; by actively being involved with something that stimulates the senses like this, it can really make the feel-good endorphins in your body increase.
- Baking gets your creative juices flowing
It has been known that psychologists have found a link between creativity and mental well being – so getting creative with baking can give you the real feel good factor! We also feel a real sense of achievement when we have created something that looks and tastes good.
- Baking makes others happy too
Although it might be hard to share your bakes with others sometimes (we know that too well), when we do, we can see happiness and a sense of enjoyment in others from something we have created. This ultimately has an effect on us too, as we can also feel a great sense of joy when we make other people happy.
- Keeps your mind focused
Baking needs a fair bit of concentration and is purposeful; and sometimes, having your mind focused on something can actually take your mind off other things for a little while, which can really help to de-stress and keep calm!
- Baking can help relieve stress physically
People can often be surprised at how active baking actually is; one minute you are whisking away then next you’re kneading the dough – phew, it’s hard work! But this hard work does pay off, as by doing the physical activity, you are releasing more endorphins in your body that make you feel good. Who knew that baking could actually be a bit of a work out?
Bars for Baking…
Check our Signature Collection Chocolate Bars; full of flavour and perfect for baking!
Mental Health Foundation
If you need any form of support with your mental health, then please check out the Mental Health Foundation for further information.