{"id":11152,"date":"2018-12-19T11:32:03","date_gmt":"2018-12-19T11:32:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ounews.co\/?p=11152"},"modified":"2018-12-19T11:32:03","modified_gmt":"2018-12-19T11:32:03","slug":"baking-it-better-can-baking-help-tackle-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/education-languages-health\/health\/baking-it-better-can-baking-help-tackle-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Baking it Better – can baking help tackle anxiety?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Liz suddenly experienced a series of anxiety attacks, which forced her to stop working for a long period of time. Baking became her outlet, as it was the only activity that would prevent further attacks. The following video is a key part of the\u00a0Approaches to Mental Health<\/a>\u00a0module that can be studied on a variety of courses at The Open University, including\u00a0Nursing & Healthcare<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Psychology & Counselling<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nhttps:\/\/ounews.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/k314_2017j_vid009_1_small-1.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

Therapy in the flour<\/h2>\n

The therapeutic process of baking is a great way to let your mind escape, with the satisfaction of making something that both tastes and looks good. The rolling, kneading and the\u00a0smells associated with baking can result in a reduction in stress levels. Surprising others by gifting freshly baked goods can also be a great\u00a0way of lifting your mood.<\/p>\n

Festive thought<\/h2>\n

Although Christmas is often described as ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, for many the festive season sparks stress and can be a lonely experience. There are many reasons why Christmas may be difficult \u2013 gift buying can highlight money woes, and when family and friends gather, it reminds us of those who are absent.<\/p>\n

\"ManThere is no better time than Christmas to bake, and with its potential happiness-inducing benefits, it may just help those that need something enjoyable to do\u00a0during the holidays.<\/p>\n

Dr Mathijs Lucassen<\/a>, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health at The Open University said: “Not everyone has positive associations with Christmas, whether it be because of family tensions, bereavement or difficulties at home. There are lots of mood-lifting activities that can be done during the festive break, and for some people that may be baking. However, it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ solution, and it’s important to find your own best\u00a0ways to relieve stress.”<\/em><\/p>\n

“The festive season is full of traditions that can be just as effective as baking \u2013 why not try a brisk walk after your roast dinner, a detox from the online world, or perhaps some team board games to bring everyone together \u2013 do what’s right for you.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Dr Jonathan Leach<\/a>, Lecturer in Health & Social Care at The Open University commented: “Having previously worked in a mental health organisation which helped people to recover\u00a0 through doing creative activities, I think that the act of producing something, whether it is a cake, a painting, a toy or a potted plant, can often\u00a0be very therapeutic. The close\u00a0attention paid to the process itself and, hopefully,\u00a0the satisfaction with\u00a0the end product can both distract the individual from their worries and lift their mood.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Find out more<\/h2>\n

Discover Liz’ delicious cakes at BuBakes\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Listen to BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind,\u00a0Dr Mathijs Lucassen<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Dr Jonathan Leach\u00a0<\/a>from the OU are academic consultants on this series<\/p>\n

About the\u00a0Depressed Cake Shop<\/a>\u00a0mentioned in Liz’s video – was an\u00a0All in the Mind\u00a0<\/em>finalist, hear their interview with\u00a0BBC Radio 4\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Nursing & Healthcare<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Psychology & Counselling\u00a0<\/a>courses available at The Open University<\/p>\n

About Hamlett Films<\/a> \u2013 the production company that made the Baking it Better<\/em> video<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Liz suddenly experienced a series of anxiety attacks, which forced her to stop working for a long period of time. Baking became her outlet, as it was the only activity that would prevent further attacks. The following video is a key part of the\u00a0Approaches to Mental Health\u00a0module that can be studied on a variety of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":11172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[212,449,605,868,929,1525,1640],"class_list":["post-11152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-baking","tag-christmas","tag-depression","tag-family","tag-friends","tag-news-home","tag-ou-home"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}