Victoria DeVita – Cooking can be gross. There is no other way around it—mushy textures, weird smells, bright kitchen lights, and so on.
There have been a plethora of memes surrounding the dreaded idea of putting your hand into a sink filled with murky water and touching something slimy. All in all, cooking comes with a lot of sensory input.
For the average person, these things might cause slight discomfort, but they can quickly work through it. However, for people who struggle with sensory input and sensory processing challenges, cooking can be a nightmare.
As someone who is just now, at twenty-three years of age learning how to cook for herself and her family, the sensory input that comes with cooking has been one of my greatest difficulties.
As I said, there is just so much happening that I have to account for every time I step into the kitchen to make something. Sometimes, I get so tired just from mustering the energy to cook and having to balance that with the various sensory stimulants that pop up the thought of actually eating the food I just cooked leaves me feeling drained. I often end up leaving the freshly prepared food and settle for a quick snack before heading to bed to cuddle-up and recuperate.
So how do I do it? How does someone who struggles with sensory processing difficulties cook?
There are a few steps I take to keep things calm in the kitchen. A lot of it involves preparing before I even step foot into the kitchen.
For me, I have to be in the right mindset and have the right amount of energy to begin cooking. This means that if I am feeling incredibly sleepy, frustrated, drained, etc. cooking is not in the cards for me. This helps make sure that I am starting the process with minimal overwhelm. I also take the time to run through the things I will be dealing with once I start cooking. For example, I will run through the list of ingredients I will be using and how each of them feels, smells, and looks. I’ll think about if I need to be using the oven or the stove and if I need to touch water or any other liquids like oils. Once this mental inventory is complete, I can begin the cooking process.
Staying calm, cool, and collected during cooking takes some effort and some ongoing mental check-ins with myself. It is important to keep in mind that if I get too overwhelmed that I can step away and rest until I am feeling better. The world will not end if you need to turn the stove off and go listen to a guided meditation for 10 minutes.
If you are someone who does well following instructions and likes a clear guide, recipes will be your best friends.
If you are someone who gets stressed out at the idea of timing and step-by-step instructions, it is okay to use your intuition on things like the amount of seasoning to use and how long those veggies should roast before they are ready to be blended into the sauce.
The most important thing to understand about cooking with sensory processing difficulties is that it is okay for you to work at your own pace. No one is expecting you to be a three-star Michelin chef by the end of the month.
Cook foods that appeal to you. Use ingredients that you like. Remember that it is okay if you get into the kitchen and decide today is just not a day you feel like cooking.
Cooking can be fun and enjoyable but only when you’re in the mood for it. Best of luck!
Victoria DeVita is a freelance writer and author who has spent their entire life writing in one form or another. While they were a stay-at-home mom for their daughter, Victoria found writing to be an incredible way to stay grounded and flex their creative muscles. Graduating with a Master’s degree in English and Creative Writing in meant that they could set their sights on making writing their full-time gig. With a focus on accessible and engaging storytelling, Victoria prides themself on writing content that understands their audience and meets them where they’re at. They are always interested in learning new things and answering questions on the topics they love! Find Victoria at Instagram @victoria.devita and at victoriadevita.com.
Photo Source: Maarten van den Heuvel, @mvdheuvel, via Unsplash.
