The kitchen is the powerhouse of the home. A cluttered , messy kitchen environment has a way of creating confusion and grating on one’s nerves. While the exact opposite works magic by promoting concentration and mental clarity. Practicing some or most of these habits go a long time to make your time in the kitchen more efficient and productive.
- A Clean Space.
It minimises distractions, creates order and a sense of calmness that spills over to the rest of the day. A clean space means taking out the trash a night before. It’s good hygiene when trash doesn’t spend the night with you. Same with doing the dishes before going to bed. Nothing alters the smell of the house, invites roaches, rats and the likes like defaulting on these 2. Starting your day with a clean kitchen is priceless. - Hydration.
This is very important because it is great for brain function and helps boost concentration levels. It’s great to have a bottle of water waiting for you on the kitchen counter as you walk into the kitchen but it’s even better when you have it with you by your nightstand so that it’s the first thing you grab before your legs touch the ground. I see it as self-care. That quick, first, simple, thing you do for yourself before you start taking care of others. - Prep The Little Things in Advance.
Having the little things already sorted go a long way to reduce stress for you in the mornings because truth is, things can get overwhelming really quickly in the mornings. Depending on what your meals entail. For me, I make enough juice to last a few days and store them in little bottles. This way, I’m not juicing every morning. I also always make stew on weekends to last the week at least, so the only work is to either boil rice or yam. Same thing with soups. - Tea / Coffee Fix.
It always helps with that quick fix to eliminate that fuzziness in your head and provides moments of relaxation that refreshes your mind without disrupting focus. Having a cup while prepping in the kitchen in the morning is a nice idea, especially with herbal teas like chamomile and peppermint known for their calming properties that reduces stress levels without the jittery effects of caffeine.advertisement - Pantry Organisation.
You know what they say, “A place for everything.” This helps and makes navigation easy when things are easy to find and the regular things within reach. This saves time and minimises the stress associated with meal prep.
Joy Essien is Contributing Editor, Lagos Metropolitan
