Alright, so you were the wise-guy who thought it would be a great idea to have Thanksgiving at your place. It wasn’t until the day before that you realized you only have one oven and four burners on the stove, which is all well and good in a typical situation, but today you have to prepare a total of ten dishes for thirty people. It seems like your distress is beginning to boil over.
Believe it or not, there are a few things you can do to help take your nerves into de-stress mode. Yes, you still only have an hour before your guests arrive and your turkey still isn’t thawed, but no worries; let’s take a look at five simple ways to distress in the kitchen.
1. Deep Breath – Take a deep breath and repeat after me: “I will not burn the turkey…again, I will not burn the turkey…again.” On a more serious note, taking deep breaths helps to fill the lungs, blood and muscles with oxygen. This oxygen helps to keep you focused and also alert. Believe it or not, deep breathing can also give you a boost of confidence, helping to drop-kick your stress levels right out of the kitchen.
2. Music – Think back to a time when you were having a great day, maybe riding in your car with the windows down, hair blowing in the wind and singing at the top of your lungs. Music has a certain way of lifting spirits and keeping your mind off of everything else. Grab a radio and crank up your favorite tunes while you are cooking, who knows, maybe you will even enjoy your chaotic experience with some tunes to do life by.
3. Chop Something – No, seriously. Grab your biggest knife and go to town on some produce. It will make you feel like a million bucks as you show that carrot who is boss. Just make sure you don’t choose an onion, otherwise your eyes and nose will hate you forever.
4. Open a Window – Vitamin D does wonders for moods. If you are stressed out, step outside for a bit and grab some rays. If you have the option to open a window and get some sun, do it. Bask in it for a few minutes, possibly taking some deep breaths (just not around the onion you just brutalized).
5. Have Fun – That’s right. Moon-walk in your socks on the tile; try to carve a face into a lime; heck, put on an apron and pretend you are Julia Child. Have fun. Goofing off and being a free spirit will always lower the stress levels.
See, you don’t have to worry about anything. Just follow these five simple tips and you will be stress-free in no time. Just make sure you stop moon-walking and yelling at the turkey before your guests arrive. This article cannot be held accountable for any strange looks or awkward moments between friends. Get in the kitchen and have some fun preparing food for your closest friends and family; everything will be ok.
