How Baking Leads to Personal Growth

Baking is not just a pastime or a hobby; for many people, it is a way to grow and become the best version of themself. This is because baking fosters important life skills, establishing a growth mindset. This outlook on life promotes both mental and general wellness as it allows a person to feel more confident in themself, making it likely that they will pursue their goals and flourish even in the face of adversity.

Learn Resilience:

Even the most skilled bakers experience failures. It is perfectly fine to not always succeed. In fact, failure could be beneficial if individuals learn from their mistakes, which enables them to undergo personal growth, not just in the kitchen, but also in their daily lives. Imagine someone is trying to bake a cake from scratch and decides to ballpark the ingredients, measuring them with their eyes (what looks right to them). It is highly probable that their cake

would not taste good and would not look right. This individual has two choices: Give up and sulk in their misery, or they could try again and look up the correct measurements, as well as use measuring cups. If this person chooses the first choice, they will never succeed. Conversely, by

picking the second option, they will recognize what they did wrong, and improve the next time.

Likewise, even when following a recipe, the outcome may not always be positive. Baking is often a trial-and-error process. Willingness to not give up demonstrates adaptability. This is a crucial skill that can be transferred into a person’s daily life whether it is at work or school. Through baking, they acquire the knowledge on how to be resilient and they come to understand

the benefits of persevering, which permits them to take a huge step in the journey of self-growth. A person who can be flexible will go far in life as they will experience less stress and feel better

overall.

Learn Patience

It is necessary to have patience when baking. Baking requires being precise and taking the time to ensure that the product comes out correctly. The food often takes a long time to cook and then cool down. The waiting period can be difficult. In the long run, things do not always work out after the first try and so the baker may have to start over – possibly more than once.

They must remain calm and be ready to be patient and trust the process. Similarly, when the food does not come out as expected, it may take creative thinking to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. When people see that thinking outside of the box can lead to wonderful creations, they can transfer this knowledge to their daily lives and apply it at work or school. Creative thinking and patience go hand in hand when it comes to baking.

Finally, when individuals are baking with other people, they will have to communicate, which takes patience as well. Personal growth is about gaining new skills, being willing to be open-minded/accepting, engaging in active listening, regulating emotions, being able to communicate with others, and learning about oneself (Parincu, n.d.). This all takes place while the person is striving to become a better version of themself. Having patience in the kitchen is applicable anywhere and is a large part of self-growth.

Learn How to Manage Anxiety/Depression

Baking is a great way to manage or reduce anxiety and depression. This is because it provides a creative outlet for people to channel their negative feelings. When someone is baking, they can put all of their focus on that and not have to worry or think about outside stressors (“The Mental Health”). Additionally, baking releases endorphins like serotonin, dopamine, and

oxytocin which boost a person’s mood and cause them to feel happier. It even cultivates a sense of accomplishment which may improve one's self-esteem. Lower anxiety and/or depression is vital since it means an individual may be more confident, optimistic, self-assured, goal-oriented,

and enthusiastic about participating in activities (“Good Mental Health”). If people recognize that baking is an essential tool for managing anxiety/depression and utilize it in their daily lives for this purpose, then they will be taking a meaningful step toward making a positive impact in

their lives. Learning how to control and deal with negative emotions is an excellent example of self-growth.

Conclusion

Baking is critical not just because it generates feelings of joy and is a fun activity, but also since it has considerable advantageous effects on one’s mental state. Baking employs skills that promote personal growth which comes with major mental health benefits that enhance the quality of life for its participants.

Isabel Chernysh

Sources

• “Good Mental Health.” Healthdirect, Healthdirect, www.healthdirect.gov.au/good-mental-health. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

• Nhc-Admin. “The Mental Health Benefits of Baking.” Northern Healthcare, www.northernhealthcare.org.uk/news-resources/the-mental-health-benefits-of-baking/.

  Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

• Parincu, Zamfira. “Self-Growth: Definition, Examples, & Tips.” The Berkeley Well-Being Institute, www.berkeleywellbeing.com/self-growth.html. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.