It was a shit day at work.
Busy. Stressful. Frustrating.
And the last thing I wanted to do was cook.
What I wanted was a Chinese takeaway. A pizza from Aldi. Or an M&S meal deal.
But then I’d get myself for eating junk food — again.
Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to know it’s not just you.
I used to see cooking as a chore. Something else I had to do. Something else on my to-do list. Something else I didn’t have time for.
These days? I actually enjoy cooking. Which makes me want to cook more! And ultimately means I’m happier and healthier.
Because as I shared last week, what you eat affects not only how you look, but what you think, feel, do and achieve too.
What changed? My mindset and my habits. After realising two things:
You have to cook nearly every day of your life. So why wouldn’t you want to make it feel good?
And when you love food, why wouldn’t you want to enjoy cooking it as much as you enjoy eating it?
So that’s what I taught myself to do.
I consciously chose to make it an enjoyable experience. Something I look forward to. Something I want to do. Something to nourish my mind, body and soul.
Ultimately, I transformed cooking into a peaceful, calming, yet energising time. Firstly, by deciding to enjoy it. Then by implementing these 7 simple habits:
#1 Wearing comfy leggings, an oversized hoodie and fluffy socks!
#2 Giving yourself permission not to rush — and consciously choosing to let cooking be relaxing and recharging.
#3 Asking Alexa to play chilled hits or upbeat pop-rock from the 2010s. Or, putting in headphones and listening to a podcast like The Diary Of A CEO.
#4 Choosing simple and easy recipes. I actually rotate the same 7 to 10 recipes 90% of the time.
#5 Doubling — sometimes tripling — everything. So you always have leftovers for tomorrow. And for the freezer to cover those busier-than-usual weeks.
#6 Prepping first. Cooking second. Splitting your cooking into two stages just makes it better. Not really sure why!
#7 Tasting as you go. For no other reason than it makes you feel like a chef when you need to add a dash of salt and a pinch of pepper 😅.
These rituals stop me eating as much junk food because cooking makes me feel good.
So, why not give one or two of these habits a try this week? And transform cooking into time — just for you — to zone out, be present and for once not feel rushed.
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Thanks so much for reading.
With love,
Becky x