Mebel discovers that cooking provides a “sense of peace” and that it calms “the usual cacophony of noises” in her mind. (p. 107). Does this ring true for you? Are there activities you engage in that clear your head in a similar manner?
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This quote absolutely rings true for me, especially when I am cooking a new recipe (which I usually do once a week). Getting the ingredients ready, figuring out the timing, cleaning as you go is all like a ballet in my head. Also, stay out of my kitchen!
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I’m the same way, @Cheryl_T! I love not only the distraction of cooking, but the sense of accomplishment I get when I make something really yummy. My husband keeps offering to cook when I’m really busy and doesn’t understand when I refuse his help, haha.
Although my standard line is, “I hate running,” it’s another thing I do that gets me out of my head. Maybe the activity is just too painful to allow me to think about anything else! 
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I would have loved to go to culinary school, especially in another country! That is another reason I admire Mebel, she just did it. Good for her.
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Yes…cooking does that for me. 
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Well I’m not a big cook, but I do make sourdough bread and knit and find that both of those do quiet the mind, plus Yoga! It’s hard today with all the 24x7 news and social media to just unplug and do something for yourself so I always cherish those times.
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At first, I didn’t think I would enjoy this book. I was pleasantly surprised. I agree that cooking can be very calming. Concentrating on the recipe, the ingredients, and the process can give a focus.
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When I started this book I thought it was going to be just fluff. It wasn’t! Medel was raised and educated to be a “trophy wife.” She was excepted to be extremely supportive of her husband. She needed to be able to carry on a conversation with his business associates, provide dinner parties and raise their son. When her husband tells her he is having an affair with their personal chef, that was a blow to her.
I admire her courage to enroll in a cooking school. When she discovers it’s in England, just outside of Oxford, she still goes. She learned she was much more than a “trophy wife.” I loved this character and would give this book a 10.
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Susan - although cooking is my go to for a sense of peace it is very physical. At my age I am with you about knitting (crocheting). Your mind is on the stitches.
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This rings true to me - when I am working on a project, I get fully immersed and hours can go by in a flash. All the concerns of the day fade as I become singularly focused on the task in front of me. Walking and exercising also provide this peace and living in the moment experience for me.
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Mebel’s perspective resonates with me, too. Walking, gardening, and meditation are three activities that help me quiet and focus my mind.
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Absolutely. Not only cooking, but making jewelry and golf can totally absorb me and shut the world out. Given her background, and what it was that made her decide to go to cooking school, it is somewhat surprising that Mebel could immerse herself as she did in cooking. One can imagine that anything Mebel decides to do, she will have the same experience.
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Yes indeed! I love cooking and baking, and I like to create new recipes or ways of presenting the food for guests. I also love knitting and watercolor painting; they all take my mind off things, and I love the sense of accomplishment when I see (and others as well) the final creations.
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I loved seeing Mebel’s journey toward realizing that she has ADHD, even though she never officially gets there in the book, because it is such a common thing for women who never had any official ND diagnosis to only realize later in life.
I personally don’t find cooking to relax my mind, but other tasks often do. Like I really enjoy sorting things as a way to soothe my busy mind.
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For me, cooking is a necessary chore and one from which I do not derive a great deal of pleasure. I have other hobbies that provide that sense of peace, however, such as crocheting, gardening, being outdoors, and reading.
This very much holds true for me. When I’m having a rough time, cooking helps me to calm my mind and it’s a creative outlet.
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When I was younger anf healthier it was baking. As I’ve gotten older it’s become building lego kits….something I was introduced to by my grandchildren. It’s not as frustrating as jigsaw puzzles and I can sit in one place while I build. And they’re 3 dimensional.
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As a fellow woman diagnosed with ADHD later in life, I found this aspect particularly relatable. Cooking usually exacerbates my anxiety, but there are other activities that I enjoy because they help me calm my mind. Reading fiction is my go-to! Keeping my hands busy with puzzles on my phone or engaging in repetitive movements like knitting or running are also helpful for quieting my mind.
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Feeling burnt out? Audiobooks can help. Here’s why.
I found this article on the Libby app blog. The number one reason audiobooks can help: 1. They interrupt anxious thought loops.
Absolutely! Trying out new recipes and baking clear my head. Other activities that have a similar effect are needlework, reading, and listening to music.
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