There was a time when I would fill the passive moments in the kitchen with reading emails, responding to messages, and mindless scrolling.
Timers would pull me back to the stove, interrupted, flustered—even when scanning an online recipe for that next step that seems to skip around the page with each ad or popup. After a long day, I was ready to kick back, and cooking felt like another obstacle. Then, sure enough, there was a pile of dishes to tackle.
It was when I stopped using my phone as much in general that I started noticing a shift in the kitchen, one that would make cooking easier for me. I started filling those passive moments with more chores on my kitchen list, cleaning as I went so there was less to take care of after eating. If I ran out of dishes, I’d tidy the fridge or organize a cupboard—anything that needed taking care of.
Sometimes, I just look out my window at the leaves or snow or passersby.
Now, it doesn’t bother me if a timer pulls my attention away from the task at hand—either way, I’m present in the kitchen. I’m not trying to craft a response or daydreaming over a friend’s vacation photos. I’m taking care of the meal and my home, and that message or update can wait.
As for the recipes—printing them makes all the difference. No ads. No chasing text. No losing them to an update.
Best of all, I’m no longer getting distracted, which means less stress.
How about you? Do you have any kitchen rules that make cooking easier for you?