Maybe you want to take a break from the stress of work or school and you need something to do other than watch another movie. I know a lot of people that are looking for stress relievers that are also productive. I always recommend baking as a hobby to pick up when you’re stressed out and want to do something relaxing and fun.
Baking is a great activity to do because it is relatively easy. All you have to do is find a recipe that looks good and follow it. You don’t have to think about anything or be creative if you don’t want to be, but the great thing about baking is that you can also experiment if you want to. So whether you are a follow-the-book kind of person or a person who might want to substitute chocolate chips for peanut butter chips, baking is something that you might enjoy and find alleviating.
Another benefit of baking is the sense of control that you get. If you don’t like almonds, you do not have to add them, you get to be in control of your kitchen and what you bake. You get choices, you get to pick the recipe and any substitutions you may make, you get to decide if you focus only on flavor or on presentation too. It can be super stressful to be in situations where you lack control, so taking back a piece of that control through baking is a great way to relieve some of the tension you feel.
With baking, you also get a huge sense of accomplishment. When you see your final product you get to be proud of the work you put in, of the choices you made, and of the time you spent creating something great. You can also feel more accomplishment because you did something physical, you got to see and feel the process happen, and you got a result that you can actually hold, so that might be more satisfying than finishing another movie. Not only do you get a sense of accomplishment, but you also get a yummy treat when you’re done, so baking is a great activity to do if you want to feel like you did something meaningful.
No matter what has you stressed out, I recommend baking as a project to help you feel some relief. Getting to make something tasty out of a pile of ingredients is a really productive activity that shouldn’t be too hard for you if you want to do something new and fruitful. I love getting to try new recipes when I need a break from school, I hope you find something you’d like to try to bake!