Take it slow: Find pleasure in cooking and eating slowly
How to make mealtimes a moment to savour.
Most of us know the feeling of coming home after a long day and rushing through the process of making dinner.
Sometimes we’ll hurriedly throw some ingredients in a pan and hope for the best. Other times we might go through the motions while our minds are elsewhere. As we’re chopping, mixing or stirring we’re mentally unpacking the events of the day.
Slowing down our daily routine can help us to feel more relaxed and cooking provides a golden opportunity for this.
Preparing food and then (the best part) eating it, is an activity that provides lots of opportunities for sensory pleasure.
By tuning to these activities, we can take a moment to get in touch with what’s going on around us, focus on the present and enjoy the experience of cooking and being able to nourish ourselves with good food.
It takes a bit of practise to move at a slower pace but next time you’re in the kitchen try out some of these habits to help you pause and enjoy the here and now:
Focus on the different processes like slicing, dicing, mixing and seasoning.
As you cook, notice the shape, size and colour of the ingredients, breathe in the smells and sample the flavours.
Then when it’s time to eat, notice the different colours on your plate. What are the different textures and how do they come together? What individual flavours can you taste and how do they complement each other?
Eating colourful food is a great way to include a variety of vitamins and minerals in your diet. Find out why here.
As you’re eating, try to chew more slowly than you normally would. This will give you time to appreciate what you’re eating. Take a moment to feel gratitude for a good meal that you get to enjoy with friends, family or simply in your own company.
While it might not be possible to make every meal time like this, it’s worth trying to when you can. When we slow down and focus on what’s right in front of us, we can start to feel calmer, happier and more connected to the present.
Want to explore more ways to find calm? Find out how to connect with all 5 senses to ease anxiety and feel calm.