Lately when I’ve been stressed at school, I’ve found the most relief and relaxation in baking. I’m not just talking about getting a package of pre-made cookie dough from your local grocery store and popping it in the oven; I’m talking about good, old-fashioned baking. I’m talking about creaming butter, separating eggs, and measuring sugar and flour. Yes, I’m known as the crazy baking lady at my school.

There is just something relaxing about baking. You can either follow a recipe step by step, making that perfect chocolate chip cookie or experiment with what ingredients you have, creating something completely new. The act of measuring out that perfect cup and a half of sugar and creaming it with a stick of butter gives your mind something to focus on when your mind is swimming with thoughts of the three papers you have to write. It grounds you, getting you ready to focus on your work later.

Baking also gets rid of a lot of the pent-up energy that occurs when someone is stressed out. I don’t know about you all, but when I get stressed, I suddenly get a large amount of energy surging through my bones that I need to get rid of in some way. Seriously, I won’t be able to focus on the work I’m stressed about unless I get this energy out in some way. Thus, baking has become a great way for me to use up all of this energy.

There is plenty of labor that goes into baking just about anything by hand. When I am at school, I don’t get the luxury of a fancy KitchenAid mixer or anything like that; It’s just my arm, a large spoon, and my bowl of ingredients. If you have baked anything without a mixer before, you know that it takes a lot of arm-work to fully mix any batter. This usually helps me get rid of the excess hyperness that I have when I am stressed, and I am able to go back to my work.

When I’m in a stressed mood, I also tend to get really talkative. No matter who I run into on campus, I always want to talk to them. Sitting in the kitchen in my dorm while I’m waiting for my treats to get out of the oven gives me a chance to talk to the people who come by to ask what I’m baking. I’ve actually made some great friends and connections just from the people who I talk to while I’m baking.

I think my favorite part of baking at school, stressed or not, is being able to share my baked goods with my friends on campus. As cliché as it sounds, being able to share my creations with my friends gives me those happy fuzzies that bring my stress-levels down. My friends, who are also probably stressed, always appreciate the extra treats. My mood improves, and I am able to go back to studying away happily.

I highly suggest baking or cooking something when life has you in a bad mood. Your mood will improve, and so will your focus.