Benefits of cooking for the mental health of your team
Introduction
Why can remote work challenge mental health?
Remote work can be a huge challenge to mental health. You’re often alone, you have limited social interaction and you don’t see your teammates every day. You may not even have a physical office that everyone comes into and goes out of every day. That lack of structure will result in the feeling of being unproductive and lost.
Studies have shown that people who work remotely are more likely to experience symptoms of depression than those who work in an office setting.
It’s important for remote companies to focus on their employees’ mental health just as much as if they were working in an office by providing information and support services such as regular activities with managers or friends, having designated break spaces where employees can virtually eat together (and talk), promote internal initiatives to sensitize about the important of healthy food options like fresh fruits & vegetables from local farms.
Is Cooking Good for Mental health?
Cooking is a great way to express oneself. It’s also a great way to relax and unwind. Cooking with others like your colleagues also allows you to connect with them via common interest, learn new skills and teach others as well. Cooking is a skill for life.
Cooking and mental health are surprisingly connected and with so many benefits, cooking is one of the most effective social activities to support the mental health of your remote team, as it can be easily done from everybody’s home, wherever you employees are in the world.
With the world finally going back to normal after the pandemic, many companies decided to keep on investing in full or hybrid forms of remote working with an increasing concern for human resource managers related to employee engagement when it comes to remote teams
Cooking activities are a growing standard practice adopted across countries as part of employees well being and welfare programs. The theory behind the interconnection between cooking and mental health is also known as cooking therapy.
Top mental health cooking benefits for your remote team
- Cooking together makes you feel more connected
- Cooking can improve mood and relieve stress
- Cooking boosts problem-solving skills
- Cooking teaches people how to manage their time better
Cooking together makes you feel more connected
Here are some benefits of cooking together:
- Cooking together is a great way to connect with people. It’s a wonderful activity that you can do alone or with others and it will allow you to spend quality time with colleagues around the world from the comfort of your own kitchen.
- Cooking together builds trust within the group because each person can talk and share their own local food stories, family traditional recipes and cultural cooking habits. This creates a feeling of equality among the group members which encourages collaboration for the greater good of everyone involved—even outside of work!
Cooking can improve mood and relieve stress
There is a growing body of scientific evidence that suggests cooking can significantly improve your mood and relieve stress. Cooks are often more relaxed, feel more connected to their teammates, and become more confident in their ability to perform tasks they may otherwise find stressful.
Cooking boosts problem-solving skills
- Cooking is a creative process. Cooking is about taking ingredients, combining them in new ways, and generating something delicious. The same can be said for life: we often find ourselves with certain attributes or experiences and are tasked with making the most of them.
- Cooking is a physical process. You need to use your body when you cook. When you’re chopping vegetables, you might notice that it feels good to be using your hands in this way; the physicality of cooking can help us feel grounded again after we’ve been stressed out at work or school.
- Cooking is a social process – whether you’re alone (in which case it’s still social because you’re talking to yourself) or with other people who are eating what they’ve made together as well as enjoying each other’s company while working together towards an outcome (such as everyone getting home safe), cooking requires human interaction – something that everybody could benefit from in their daily lives!
Cooking teaches people how to manage their time better
Cooking is a complex task. It requires planning, organization, patience and focus. You have to manage your time well in order to get the job done on time. You also need to be able to follow instructions and be organized so that you don’t forget anything important.
Cooking brings out people's creative side
In order to be creative, you have to be comfortable with yourself and your environment. Cooking is a creative process. People who cook enjoy the transformation of raw ingredients into a finished product. When cooking for their team, they are able to take this sense of creativity and apply it towards something else: making their workplace better.
Cooking can also be a form of self-expression. When someone cooks for your team, it says something about them as an individual—they’re thoughtful and considerate, but also fun and playful! You can learn more about how they see themselves through what they make for you guys at work!
Ultimately Cooking boosts productivity
Conclusion
