Therapeutical Baking

Philip has been in San Antonio for 7 days now, and without my other half present, I have been doing a lot of nothing at home. Nothing involves maniac housekeeping (since thing actually stay clean now), watching too many TV show reruns, re-reading old novels, and lots and lots of sleeping. I decided that today should be different than all other days, so I dug around my pantry and made some cupcakes.
I noticed a quick improvement in my mood and in the amount of energy I suddenly had, and the reason was apparent; baking is therapeutic... at least for me. These are the reasons I could think of as to why:

1. Offers Direction and Purpose. Even the simplest "out of a box" cupcakes require careful attention to the steps written on the back of the box. Unless you are an accomplished baker, you can't just "make it up as you go along" and end with a delicious dessert. (It differs from cooking, I think). The simple instructions calm me because they map out exactly what should happen with each step, and tell me what the ending result will be. This offers a break from the many daily tasks of problem-solving and figuring things out as they come at me, so it's a nice way to forget about the worries of the world. 
2. Requires all 5 Senses. In the middle of making a batch of cupcakes, all senses are required. I see the dry and wet ingredients combining into a gooey mush of splattered batter, I feel the firm vibrations of the blender as I mix everything together, I smell the sweet scents of warming sugar and vanilla, I hear my inside voice thinking of the next step, and best of all I taste the cool, soft remains on the spoon as I watch the cupcakes rise in the oven. I can think of no other task which offers simultaneous stimulation of all 5 senses and is also enjoyable. With sight, touch, scent, hearing, and tasting all going on at the same time, it's obvious that I won't think about any other issues but the ones at hand. 
3. Sharing and Enjoying. Such few tasks these days offer a tangible product once finished, so it is nice to be able to eat the darn thing and know I did a good job. Personally, I never bake with the intent of eating the end result. The most enjoyable part of making anything yummy is when I get to share it with others, so this entire batch will most likely go to friends or coworkers. This is one of the primary ways I use to show I care, so even if the process of baking wasn't rewarding enough, I also feel the gratitude of others as we all enjoy a soft, fluffy, semi-messy cupcake together. 

P.S. I suppose point number 4 can be "and then I get to blog all about it in extreme detail!" I suppose this information is best tucked away in a blog rather than posted on facebook for the annoyance of all. I'm finding blogging quite therapeutic as well... mostly because I enjoy the clicks of this particular keyboard, so I use more words than normal. Ok, now I'm just rambling. Over and out!