There is a lot of information available on how to improve our mental health and wellbeing, but in this blog, I am going to be investigating the question “Is baking good for your mental health?”

First let’s look at some statistics:

There is no denying that mental health problems are widespread in modern society, and no doubt most of us either know someone close (family or friends), or indeed are suffering ourselves.

So let’s look at out question in more detail:

Is Baking Good for your Mental Health?

My first port of call was NHS.uk, where I found an interesting article entitled 5 steps to mental wellbeing:

Step 3 suggests we should ‘Learn new skills’

“Research shows that learning new skills can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

• boosting self-confidence and raising self-esteem
• helping you to build a sense of purpose
• helping you to connect with others

Even if you feel like you do not have enough time, or you may not need to learn new things, there are lots of different ways to bring learning into your life.”

So where could baking fit in here?

• If baking is new to you, there is definitely a lot to learn!
• But even if you are an experienced baker, there are always new recipes to be explored…
• As well as baking, you could learn new skills and ideas for decorating your baked goods!
• Baking and decorating a cake for a loved one’s birthday or other special occasion gives a sense of purpose to what you are doing, and helps you connect with others – just imagine the look on their face when they see what you have created for them!

But does it go further than that?

Other than learning a new skill, how else can baking help to improve your mental health and wellbeing?

My research led me to another great read:

5 Reasons Baking is Good for Mental Health

Goodnet.org

These 5 reasons, which I have elaborated on, are as follows:

• Baking is Meditative – simple repetitive tasks can have a calming, meditative effect (things like weighing and whisking ingredients)
• Baking stimulates the senses – just think of the smells associated with baking – both the individual ingredients and the finished result!
• Nourishing activities feel good – the satisfaction you feel after creating baked goods is an amazing feeling!
• Baking is creative – this is never more obvious than in decorating your baked goods. No matter whether it is simple buttercream coatings with sprinkles or more elaborate modelled or piped decorations, let your creativity flow….
• Make other people happy – who wouldn’t be happy with shared cakes, biscuits or other bakes!

From my own experience, baking and cake decorating makes me happy! It evokes happy childhood memories of baking with my Mum, and then later baking with my own children!

Now I have my own cake business, I LOVE making cakes for special occasions – seeing the delight on my customers faces and receiving fabulous feedback makes me feel great!

I also LOVE sharing my knowledge through teaching cake decorating classes

Sadly, in today’s pressured society, children are not immune from struggles with mental health, so why not get them involved, and bake up a treat together?

For more information & suggestions for baking with children, you may be interested in reading my previous blog:

I feel so passionate about this, that alongside my current cake decorating classes, I am now registered as an accredited teacher for Cake Minds.

Cake Minds – the place where mindfulness and well being are as important as your practical learning.

“Creative crafts are now being recognised for their benefits on our well-being, and with sugarcrafting being an affordable, accessible and diverse past-time, hobby and very often, profession, it is not surprising how popular it become over the past few years.
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Cake Minds offers you a place to escape for a few hours on a regular basis, join like-minded people, learn to create some great little projects and above all to have fun and relax.”

Cakeminds.co.uk

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog – I hope you found it useful