Cooking to stimulate the brain!
In other words, you are happier when you prepare something. That's why stimulating the brain is not so difficult. You've probably already felt that feeling when...
Did you know that our brains are designed to feel pleasure and joy when physical exertion and challenging thought process come together? In other words, you are happier when you prepare something. That’s why stimulating the brain is not that difficult. You’ve probably already felt that feeling when you put together an IKEA piece of furniture on your own, when you finally master that tricky step in your dance class, or when you spend hours preparing a meal only to discover that it was, in fact, delicious. As the areas of the brain that control movement, emotion, and thinking become interconnected, engaging in activities that engage several of these components fully activates the effort-driven reward circuit. According to Kelly Lambert, Ph.D., the lack of effort-reward activities in our modern era leads to feelings of dissatisfaction and depression. Therefore, reintroducing simple tasks like cooking and creating (crafts, gardening, woodworking, art) can leave us feeling less stressed, happier, and more satisfied. Creating things that are tangible, things that you can see, touch and enjoy, gives pleasure and meaning to those who make it. Scientific research confirms that when humans change their environment with their hands, dramatic changes occur in the brain. So next time, instead of pressing a button to order your food, why not cook it? Stimulate your brain with a meal prep session for the week. It doesn’t matter what day you do it, all that matters is that you do it. I like Sundays because it is a great activity that calms you down before the week that is surely going to be very busy begins. I recommend keeping 3 to 4 days of prepared meals in the refrigerator.
