Stores are suddenly running low on flour and eggs and stay-at-home families are gaining weight! Home-made bread, cookies and cobblers are suddenly appearing in American homes. More and more of us have taken to baking. Psychologist Dr. John Huber explains. "It gives us comfort. We have good, positive memories when we pull out grandma's old recipes because we're just sitting around dwelling on things at the moment." When we're not dwelling on things or busy in the kitchen, we're weeding long ignored flower beds. Says Huber: "Getting down in the dirt - Toil in the Soil - that boosts your neurotransmitters and boosts your your serotonin. And - you can plant the seeds and watch them grow!"
Planting Fruit Trees
Not going to the office every day or not working at all leaves us with a void to fill, says Dr. John. "Work gives us a lot of meaning in life. Even if you don't like what you're doing --- it does give you a sense of pride and validation."
Some women who haven't sewn since Girl Scouts are sewing face masks to give away. Dr. Huber says we're learning to enjoy again what we did before we got so preoccupied with work and social media.
We'll see if this remains a part of the new normal.
Photo: Getty