Bake Your Way To Solace And Out Of Those Lockdown Blues
Here’s one thing most of us can agree on as we head into this New Year: Lockdowns have been bad for almost everyone’s mental and emotional wellbeing. Whether you call them “shelter in place orders,” “stay-at-home orders” or just plain old lockdowns, they all amount to the same thing: Isolation from others who matter to us.
If lack of contact with loved ones is dragging you down, heading into the kitchen for some hands-on work can be a great way to chase away those lockdown blues. And what better way to give yourself a sense of purpose, togetherness and mindfulness than baking one of the world’s most recognizable foods: Bread?
Why Bread Is So Important To Us
Breads and other grain-based foods are universal for most of us — and that dates back thousands of years. The ingredients are inexpensive and abundant, so breads have been a form of staple food for nearly every culture in human history. Whether you’re baking breads, rolls, pizza crusts or some other form of grain-based food, there’s an undeniable connection to human history in the act.
Thanks to advances in technology and medical care, we live very different lives than our ancestors did. However there is still one activity you can do in your own kitchen that most of your ancestors were doing in theirs: Baking bread! Another thing about bread that’s very important is that it’s a near-universal symbol of hospitality. The concept of “breaking bread” when we share a meal with others has been around for thousands of years.
The Tactile Experience
There has been a lot of research over the years showing that working with your hands is a great way to break the cycle of negative thinking. Making something with your hands is a creative act. Whether you’re painting a picture, playing the piano or building handmade furniture in a wood shop. While you might not have the carpentry skills to start building your own furniture, most of us can manage to get creative and/or messy in the kitchen!
Making bread dough is an incredibly tactile experience. It’s hard to focus on the negativity outside your home or on the news when you’re up to your elbows in a ball of dough. Kneading dough gives many people a sense of almost child-like joy. Rolling it out and flattening the dough with a rolling pin provides a different type of sensory experience.
From sifting flour to buttering a bread pan and getting bits of dough stuck to your fingers, every tactile experience from the act of baking bread can bring you directly into the moment. That mindfulness is part of why the act of baking has the power to heal and bring people together.
The Little Details
When you bake your own bread “from scratch,” you’re creating something tangible and real derived of several different items. It also allows you to bring your mind into focus on a task, so that you can shut the rest of the world out of your head and have a little “me time.”
Baking bread involves a bit of a push-pull dynamic from your mind. You’ll be measuring out some ingredients precisely in cups and tablespoons, while other parts of the process just involve instinct and “winging” it. Even though billions of people have baked bread before you, the loaf that you bake today is distinctly yours.
The Nostalgia Factor
What happens when you smell a freshly-baked loaf of bread coming out of the oven? For most of us, our olfactory senses kick in and it reminds us of a joyful time in life. Fresh baked bread conjures up fond memories of food, togetherness and family.
Maybe it calls to mind the smell of your own mother’s kitchen, or a grandmother, aunt or other special person. The nostalgia that we experience can not only remind us of the past, but is can also be a great reminder that things can be good in the “here and now,” and even better in the future.
A Sense of Purpose
Baking bread can be elevated to an art form if you make it a regular practice. Don’t be afraid to fail a few times during the process, if you’re just starting to learn (as many of us have had to do). As previously mentioned — the ingredients are inexpensive and readily available! Once you feel like your product is ready for primetime, consider “gifting” a loaf of bread to others around you, whether it’s a loved one, an acquaintance or an elderly neighbor.
Let’s face it: Binge watching shows on Netflix during the lockdowns has not provided much of a sense of purpose. Giving the gift of a loaf of bread to others could provide you a sense of purpose, try it. It’s a kind and thoughtful act that extends beyond your home to others. Bringing love and light into the world in this way can provide even more meaning to the act of baking. Share it with others!
The Other Benefits
Baking your own breads and rolls can save money on your household budget and it can be healthier than some of types of “store-bought” breads, if that’s a concern to you. More importantly, it’s a baking task that takes time to learn and that brings a sense of mental challenge to it: “I can do this!”
If you do it often enough to consider it a new hobby, you’ll learn to appreciate those moments in the kitchen each week as you are kneading dough and waiting for the yeast to do its work. Be “in” the moment. Be mindful of those historical, familial, cultural and neighborly concepts that all play into this creative act. Get cracking!
