When its pure anxiety and hassle?
FXsThe Bearportrays this well, illustrating how cooking can be incredibly stressful and frustrating.
A dinging oven and a chaotic sous chef are only part of the equation.
Chefs and therapists cooked up some explanations and their best tips.
Chefs know and validate the struggle.
(This can go for your family kitchen, too!)
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You have to keep allergies,dietary needs, health conditions, and likes/dislikes in mind.
That can be a lot!
Lev believes this can add stress to the cooking process.
Preparing a meal may often feel like another chore and less of a reward.
Finding time in an already busy schedule for shopping and meal planning may also feel like a challenge.
Cooking can trigger thoughts and feelings about how food choices may impact their appearance or weight, Lev explains.
The pressure to prepare healthy or low-calorie meals can add an additional layer of stress.
Further, after youve already planned the menu and are cooking, you may still have lingeringfood guilt.
Are you cooking too many starches andnot enough vegetables?
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Are you cooking too much food in general?
Concerns like those can consume your thoughts.
No wonder your mind is racing!
Even one dish can cause a lot of distress.
To make matters more difficult, the dishes probably need to finish cooking around the same time.
Whats key is not letting it affect your self-image or confidence (as best as you could).
Repeatsoothing phrasesto yourself during the cognitive process, Lev suggests.
Save the experimentation for when you have more time and a relaxed mindset.
Forsimpler options, he suggests one-pot meals,stir fries, and sheet-pan dinners.
Researching an egg substitute or switching to a simpler meal is likely possible.
Be organized, he urges.
Knowing where things are means you dont have to search for them when you need them.
Practice radical acceptance
Radical acceptanceis a skill often discussed in therapy.
The more we make a run at control things, the more often we will be disappointed.
Along these lines, Kent recommends taking accountability for when you mess up part of a meal.
The blame game only makes the meal more unpleasant, she says.
Further, Albano encourages you to not expect too much from yourself.
If hosting a holiday, set reasonable expectations, she says.
Not everyone will be satisfied, and its okay.
How might the cooking process change if you envision it as an enjoyable activity rather than a chore?
Albano recommends making it fun, whether thats through encouraging friends/family/partners to join orplaying some good music.
Delegate and set boundaries
You dont have to handle all the meal preparation on your own.
Its okay to share the load!
For example, lets say your kids are getting in the way.
What about times when your spouse wont leave you alone?
See about having that conversation another time.
As soon as I am done cooking, I want to hear all the details.
Hoffmann wants to remind you that you could do this.
Remember that sooner or later, service or dinner will end, he says.
Remember that you love this…Believe in yourself.
You might not be the greatest yet.
None of us started out great, and weve all been there.
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