I have lived most of my life with a variety of mental health struggles; depression, anxiety, seasonal depression, and hypomanic episodes to name a few. Through years of therapy and lifestyle changes, I manage to keep myself healthy and relatively happy most of the time.
One of the best ways I know to pull myself up and out of a dark time is by cooking and baking. There is something cathartic about cooking, about making something from nothing. The meal doesn’t need to be fancy or have exotic ingredients; some of my favorite things to cook are simple casseroles or classic comfort foods.
When my anxious brain is trying to run away and hyper-focus on some unlikely scenario or my depression has me feeling like I’m moving through a thick fog, the routine of cooking pulls me back in. I like to use a grounding trick my therapist taught me to help me stay in the moment. I try to find a way to engage all five senses while cooking. By engaging all my senses, I am often able to keep myself from mentally drifting away. This technique has worked many times throughout the years to forestall panic attacks, dissociative episodes and general anxiety.
How to Use the Grounding Technique
Here is what this might look like when I’m preparing dinner. As I gather ingredients, I run through the health benefits of each in my head. When I’m chopping vegetables, I’ll focus on the color, on the way they feel in my hand, on the sound the knife makes as it cuts through them, on the smell they release as they’re cut, and on the way they taste as I test each ingredient – the best part of cooking, in my opinion! As I start cooking the ingredients, I focus on the sound of them hitting the pan, the oil popping, the smells they release as they cook. I watch the steam rise up and I focus on the feeling of the wooden spoon in my hand; most often these spoons are ones I got from my grandmother after she moved into assisted living. The wooden spoon reminds me of the three years I lived with her after college, and all the times we cooked and ate together. Sometimes just to amuse myself I’ll stir while standing on one foot, or while I wait for water to boil, I’ll do some squats or lunges in the kitchen – I have realized that people walking by the house can probably see me, and I just hope they enjoy the show!
During particularly rough patches, I will use this same grounding technique when eating. I’ll make sure my food is arranged nicely on the plate – what’s the point of exerting all that effort to cook it if you’re just going to plop it on a plate? I make sure to eat at the table, even if I’m home alone and it’s just a quick sandwich for lunch. I might put on some soothing music, maybe light a candle if I’m feeling fancy. Then I sit down, and I start to eat. I will concentrate on what the food looks like, how it smells, how it tastes in my mouth. I pay attention to how my body feels, because if my anxiety is particularly bad or my depression is on the rise, I don’t always pay attention to hunger cues. So, I listen to my body, and I appreciate how the food quiets the rumbling of my hungry stomach, how the headache that was starting behind my eyes goes away once the hunger is gone.
Maybe cooking isn’t your thing. That’s okay! The best part about this grounding technique is that it can be used anywhere, anytime, by pretty much anyone. You can choose anything to focus on – a pencil, a fidget cube, a piece of gum, or your environment. A walk in nature has many opportunities to engage your senses. The important thing is to take the time to really try and give each sense your attention for a few seconds, and to give yourself a chance to settle. Hopefully this technique can help give you a few minutes of peace.
Find more resources for depression here.
Jessica is a single mom working in education. She shares stories about parenting and mental health on her blog http://www.beautyinhumbleplaces.com
Again, I recognize so many things in this post. In times of anxiety it’s difficult to stand still and take the time for even the simplest of things, but only you are mindful in taking a step-by-step approach to those everyday tasks, it truly quiets the mind. Love that illustration too, everything about it is so mindful, even the exact color palette appeals to my quiet mind. I especially liked those words: I appreciate how the food quiets the rumbling of my empty stomach >> that’s mindfulness in its purest form right there. Thank you. Love, Susanne
I totally agree that cooking is a great way to engage different parts of your brain which help take you away from everything else. I love how you broke it down as to what you focus on during each stage of cooking, so helpful to get the complete cooking experience and full benefit of “creating” something!
I love this idea of using the grounding technique during cooking. I’ve never considered that, but it really touches upon all the senses. Thanks for sharing!
Yes! This is also known as mindfulness. I actually use it a lot just to do daily tasks, for example brushing my teeth. While I brush my teeth I focus my mind on brushing each tooth on all sides of the tooth, I focus on the feel of the brush on my teeth, the sound of the toothbrush, in the way that it feels. Check out some research on neuroplasticity. Doing these kind of “grounding” or “mindfulness” techniques physically changes are pathways in our brain, and increases our ability to absorb information and be more positive people. It’s amazing!
I find cooking helps with my depression as well. Although sometimes it’s hard to muster up the energy to cook.
I like you tips for utilising the grounding technique whist cooking 💜
I love everything about this! I will definitely be trying to use some of your techniques!