The everyday activity that is 'key' to living a stress-free life
Life can be stressful. From a busy work schedule to a chaotic home life, it can sometimes feel as if we have no time to simply stop and take a rest.
Luckily, scientists have found that a common everyday activity could be the key to a less stressful existence - cooking!
Recent data from Noom has found that cooking can be a relaxing and “therapeutic” way to relieve stress from everyday life.
"It’s a way to focus on a singular task, practice reflection, and create something positive that nourishes you and makes you feel good," Dr. Andreas Michaelides, Ph.D., chief of psychology at Noom, says.
In fact, 65% of the 2,000 people surveyed said cooking is the top activity that can help relieve stress and improve their mental health.
This was followed by cleaning (31%), gardening (30%), doing laundry (25%), and folding laundry (23%).
Mowing the lawn, doing the dishes, organising, sweeping/cleaning/mopping, and weeding were also listed among the top stress relievers.
Nearly 70% of responders also said they considered cooking to be the sixth ‘love language’, with 80% using food as a way to comfort themselves, and 65% using it as a way to comfort others.
Of those surveyed, 90% said they felt some degree of stress by the end of every day, while 28% said they feel stressed ‘often’ or ‘all the time’.
A further 20% said they turn to social media videos for stress relief, with 85% of these people watching cooking videos, 76% watching animal videos, and 72% watching music videos.
However, Dr Michaelides warned against spending too much time on social media.
"Of course, staying on social media for too long will start to make you feel burnt out and stressed," he said.
"But it’s interesting to see what types of content people interpret as beneficial for their mental wellbeing and see it follow the pattern of food being a key component in relieving stress."
The NHS says that stress can be defined as feeling as if you’re under too much mental or emotional pressure.
Some symptoms of stress include sleeping problems, loss of appetite, anxiety, and racing thoughts.
It adds that, while you often cannot prevent stress, you can know how to best manage it by learning what makes you feel relaxed, keeping a regular exercise routine, and working on time-management techniques.
Additional reporting by SWNS.
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