Sally enjoys cooking because is makes her feel "empowered and in control." Is there any activity you pursue for these reasons?

Sally enjoys cooking because is makes her feel "empowered and in control." Is there any activity you pursue for these reasons?

LOL-- I agree with Sally but cooking aside, I love the fact that I am the navigator on long road trips with my husband or my sister. I plot out the path and then help the Captain follow it. The plotting is a joint effort, of course, but if there needs changes in route, I make the decision with the map on my lap. It is fun

Besides reading, I crochet because it gives me control over a pattern and I can turn what looks like string into something of beauty and use.

No. I could see why she would like cooking for that reason. She probably felt a little out of control with her divorce and sudden changes in her life. My main hobby is reading and hiking/ walking with my husband and kids.

I'm a reader, but I love remodeling projects where I can "transform" a space in my home. It does make me feel very empowered, I get to learn different trades, etc. It's probably pretty amatuer-ish, but the end result is satisfying and we enjoy living in it.

No. I usually do something to learn or be creative. I guess you have to be somewhat in control to create! And once you have created something it does give one a feeling of empowerment! So then yes! Since I retired, I resumed my piano lessons and have taken up clogging lessons. Can't really say I'm feeling in control of either yet!??

I definitely lean toward being in control. In the past, this manifested in my planning our schedule - what activity we'd engage in when, which vacations, etc. The pandemic threw that out the window, and I struggled for a while since I felt like absolutely nothing was within my control, and it left me feeling adrift. I started baking and cooking, though, and that seemed to make me feel better. I'm convinced that, like Sally, I enjoy those activities because they're activities that are entirely within my control. It's why my "sport" is running, too; I hate team sports because I have to depend on others. (I never DID like group projects in school for the same reason!)

At the beginning of quarantining because of Covid19 I was cooking elaborate dishes which helped me feel I had some control in my life and filled my time. Now I have a new routine so I don't always cook those elaborative dishes anymore. I am feeling empowered in other ways like taking online courses and I am getting together on zoom with some the clubs of which I am a member.

I like to have a routine and that sometimes means you have to be in control! I'm not sure that is cooking for me, but you do have to take control in deciding what to cook and how to cook the meal.

Like leslieh, I'm a reader too, and I do like to be in control of my reading choices!

For me, doing something- anything! Even if it’s a small action, the impact is the same. Accomplishing something makes me feel like I’ve made progress in the right direction. It can be as simple as sending an email, finishing a book, or doing my laundry.