Baking for Therapy!
Last year, I submitted a story to a cake magazine about "Baking for Therapy". It never made it into the magazine and I kept this story saved to my computer. But instead of it remaining buried on my hard drive, I thought I would share it here. To give you a better understanding of who I am. So here it goes....
I get tonnes of messages daily through social media..
"Mary, how do you manage everything?"... "How do you run a business and take care of your family?" They want to hear my story about how Emma's Sweets got started......
Let me tell you first hand -- it's been really hard- and is still hard!
I have two small children who constantly demand my attention (9 year old twins). A pile of laundry that never goes away! Housework that is neglected for weeks on end!! And the list goes on...
What started off as a hobby turned into something larger than I could have ever dreamed
With all of that being said, everything that I now have has come at a hefty cost. My physical and mental health has deteriorated, and that is a heavy price to pay.
I have suffered from debilitating anxiety all of my life. It only got worse as I got older. Nobody warned me that being in my mid 40's would be so challenging. Some days I struggle to take a deep breath. Catastrophic thoughts ruminate in my head on the best of days. It is a vicious cycle - and just when I think I have overcome it -- the little voice of anxiety taps on my shoulder and says "Uh no - I am not going anywhere!"
I worked in the financial industry for 15 years and that just added to my stress. That's when I began to bake on a more regular basis.
Eventually I discovered the world of "cookie decorating". And this is where my life began to change. Did it cure my anxiety disorder? Of course not. But did it provide me with relief? ABSOLUTELY!!
After leaving my banking job in 2017, I began to pursue baking and decorating on a full time basis. Decorating cookies
It is so important to take time for yourself on a daily basis, as in not doing so can prove to be damaging to your overall health. I am the worst at this and need to remind myself of how important this is. I encourage everyone to find a passion and pursue it! For me, baking and decorating cookies has proven to be an effective activity in a meditative sense. And if I can make others happy in the process, it makes it all more worthwhile!
I want to create a community, both here and on my social media..
Leave your comments below if you can relate.. I am going to send a small gift to 1 random individual who comments - giveaway will close on August 9th :) thanks for reading!
GIVEAWAY CLOSED
Mary
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Hello Mary,
As a mother of three and a full-time nurse, also struggling with anxiety I can relate. I feel like my anxiety has been through the roof since I had my last child almost 3 years ago. I noticed about a year ago when I started baking more it made me feel calm. Sometimes when I try to explain how I feel to people, especially my husband he thinks I’m crazy. Anyway I just placed my first order, so excited.
Thanks you for sharing your story.
Hola Mary
Que historia¡¡¡ leyendo entiendo y puedo identificar que es lo que me pasa. Ansiedad¡¡
Entré al mundo de la reposteria por que la vida fue encaminando la ruta hacia las galletas, Cupcakes etc. Amo hacerlo y se que esto haré por mucho tiempo.
Recibir el reconocimiento de mis clientes me inyecta vida. Siento que respiro hondo y vuelvo a nacer.
Estuve mirando sus videos pero no es claro para mi la receta del royal icing. Podria por favor compartirla conmigo para ver en mi pais que ingredientes consigo? Gracias
Felicitaciones por una historia inspiradora. Dios la bendiga
I love this story! I’m currently battling anxiety and depression myself, and discovered how much I love baking. I feel closer to my grandmother’s, and I love learning new things, and I love putting my energy and feelings into something productive and yummy, instead of the worry. So far, my cookies don’t look great, but they’re pretty okay for a newbie. Haha. Yours are absolutely some of my favorites- If I wasn’t in Texas, I’d just love to take your class. :)
Thanks for all the inspiration!
I empathize as I also am besieged by anxiety and all it’s detrimental effects. Thank you for sharing and your honesty.