Skip to content
Cooking is one of those things that can be relaxing – unless you’re stressed out about it. Then it just becomes another source of stress. Believe me, I have been there time and time again. There are ways to get around that stress with some much-needed self-care. The tips I share will help you step into your kitchen with an air of excitement and a sense of creativity. But first, let’s chat about self-care and its rise and fall on our ladders of “giving a shit.”
The Self-Care Debacle
The minute self-care sashays in (the rise), toxic self-care side-eyes you from the corner of the room (the fall). I’ve followed umpteen social media influencers who shoved self-care down my throat like they had a PhD on the topic. Pushing myself toward what I considered a betterment only led me to set goals that were completely unattainable. My goals should lead me to empowerment and a feeling of accomplishment, not derailment and discouragement.
For the longest time, I disguised my procrastination as being gentle with myself. “I’ll get to it tomorrow” was my motto. Taking that small break is important but not when I do it all of the time. I had a moment of realization that my procrastination was making me miss valuable opportunities I had to help me overcome my anxiety to just do the damn thing. It also created a ripple effect to more procrastination! Toxic self-care shows up when you approach it with the mindset of getting through an Iron Man race. Give yourself permission to start small. Let’s take a walk around the block or into our kitchens.
Why Self-Care Sunday has turned to Self-Care Some Day
Let’s face it. We’re taught to seize the day and hustle to achieve greatness. And if that means we work on our goals on Sunday, that means our self-care needs get pushed to the back burner. When will the 8 to 5ers OR entrepreneurs have a chance to “Netflix and chill?” Dudes and dudettes, slow your roll and make the time!
We also live in a society that teaches us to go to battle with our goals by using the words “crush” or “maximize.” The only thing I want to crush is garlic on my cutting board, m’kay? My goals? They’ll show up organically in the time I set for myself. Aside from the day we die, there’s no finish line in life. There’s only the moment we are in. What will you savor at this moment right now?
For full-time workers or 24/7 workers, I highly recommend you carve out some “you” time and use it however you like. For me, I use Sundays to step away from work altogether. Yes, my work tends to be in the kitchen, but on Sunday, I’m in the kitchen for me, not anyone else. Here are a few tips to show up for yourself through the power of cooking creatively.
How to infuse care into your cooking routine
- Make a list of all of your favorite meals.
- Create a monthly meal plan to include these feel-good dishes. And I do mean FEEL GOOD. Don’t beat yourself up about counting calories, macros, or micros . . . whatever they call it. Feed your soul.
- Treat yourself to some comfort with your dishes and incorporate ingredients with healing properties. Carrot and turmeric soup is my jam this winter.
- Set aside time each day or week to make yourself something lovely, even if it’s just a gorgeous avocado toast. Get creative with your ingredients. A game I like to play sometimes (I know, I’m a little strange) is I pretend to be a chef on a chartered yacht. As I make my avocado toast, I ask myself how I can make it the best experience for the guests.
- Find ways to include food into your relaxation – enjoy a cup of tea while taking a bath, boil orange peel, vanilla, and a cinnamon stick in a pot of water to enjoy their scents while you meditate. Pack a light picnic, head to your favorite park, and read outside in nature. Have that picnic on your living room floor if it’s too cold or windy out.
So, what have you got to lose?
You deserve to feel good, not just eat well. I’m here to bring self-care back into a safe and manageable spot. Take care of yourself by setting aside time each day or week to make something for your own enjoyment – whether it be a favorite dish from the past, an indulgent treat, or even some comfort food. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just get into your kitchens and use the gift of food, get your hands dirty, and love the dirtiness! The positive power of food is real, my friend. Check out this blog post on the subject. I invite you to sign up for my new course, Cook Mindfully, Eat Artfully where we’ll explore how cooking can help heal our minds and body. You’ll be the first to know when it’s ready! In the meantime – cook, create art, relax, eat, enjoy, and repeat.
