Cooking (or even the idea of cooking) can have a profound impact on your level of anxiety.

You may see the kitchen as a place to relax, have fun, and express yourself; alternatively, you might feel your heartrate increase at the mere thought of having to prepare a meal.

The intensity of these feelings is only heightened by the looming holiday season that is quickly approaching.

Cooking with your child can be an effective way to reduce their anxiety around food, safety, and connection - but only if we can allow ourselves to manage our own triggers around the process and the desired outcome.

I encourage you, no matter what relationship you have with the kitchen and how it affects your nervous system, to listen to this episode and be challenged to take a different look at the trust-building, anxiety-reducing potential of the shared act of cooking and eating together with your child.