Cooking: An Amazing Tactic for Mindfulness

The art of mindfulness, which is often closely associated with meditation, is the practice of being fully present in the moment. It means embracing all of your senses, thoughts, and feelings during the task at hand. What better place to be mindful than in the kitchen? Let’s take a journey to nourish the body and mind.

A Multi-Sensory Experience

Cooking engages you to focus on all five of the senses, while also invoking creativity and inspiring the mind.

From selecting the ripest, most colorful tomatoes, to keeping a watchful eye on that pot of simmering sauce, you’re using sight. Listening to the sizzle of your pan to make sure the temperature is just right when you sauté that garlic, engages your sense of sound. While taking in the aroma of that fresh basil you’re chopping activates your senses of smell and touch. Finally, tasting your dish engages your sense of taste, one of the most enjoyable experiences.

Allowing yourself to be mindful during this process, fully focusing on each step without distraction, can be an incredibly relaxing and joyful experience. Some research has even shown that cooking has the potential to elicit positive emotions in some.

Tips To Practice More Mindful Cooking

The Mindful Mindset

The first step in being more mindful in the kitchen is to change your mindset on how you view cooking. Some people view it as a chore, something to be hurried through to get to dinner. While others may just head straight for the microwave. It helps to think of cooking as an experience rather than an obstacle. You’re creating nourishment for your body, an important act of self-care.
Remove Distractions
It’s hard to be mindful when your smartphone is buzzing away with notifications, the television is blaring, and the kids are screaming. Put your phone on silent, turn off the television, and establish a “quiet time” hour in the household. Try to remove as many distractions as reasonably possible. 

Embrace The Senses

Let yourself be fully immersed in the experience of cooking. Look at the vibrant colors and feel the crispness of the vegetables, smell the fresh herbs, listen to the sound of the sizzle, and taste the food as you go. Take a moment to focus on and enjoy each part of the process as it invokes the different senses. 

Get Creative

Cooking can be an art form. Take some time to have fun with it and get creative. Try new dishes, try combining unusual flavors and textures. Balsamic glazed peaches, chili oil chocolate cake, make some tasty experiments! Don’t forget to plate your creation in a beautiful way. We often “eat” with our eyes first.

Practice Gratitude 

Whether you’re preparing a simple sandwich or a gourmet meal, take a moment to think about where the ingredients came from, the farmers that grew them, and how they got to your kitchen. Think about how you’re able to nourish your body with these ingredients, and the incredible feats it probably took for them to arrive at your local grocery store. Take a moment to feel gratitude. 

Bringing Mindfulness into Your Kitchen

Embracing mindfulness may take some practice but it’s well worth the effort. Bring some of these strategies into your kitchen and practice being mindful the next time you make a meal. Practicing mindfulness can help you achieve a more calm, relaxed state of mind and find more moments of joy throughout your day.