Working it out

ELIZABETH HEWSON HEAD OF CREATIVE AT FINK GROUP, AUTHOR AND PASTA ENTHUSIAST

My story isn’t about overcoming adversity or trauma – it’s a rather ordinary tale of overcoming anxiety. I’ve always struggled with anxiety: that all-consuming, often paralysing state of being. When it flairs up, often brought on by a stressful situation, it leads me to lack confidence, questioning every decision and analysing every comment.

This struggle led me to search for a coping mechanism that would distract me from those plaguing thoughts. Something I could lose myself in. Like most people, I’ve always loved eating pasta. Having lived and studied in Italy, I have a deep understanding and appreciation of it. There’s a pasta for every moment, every occasion, every place. Their food not only celebrates, it also heals. So, one Saturday afternoon, I decided to make pasta. I poured a glass of wine, turned on the music and started to knead.

Much to my delight, the kneading alone proved to be intensely therapeutic – I can’t recommend enough the satisfying feeling of channelling a really shitty week into dough. I started to repeat this routine every Saturday night, wanting to recreate the curative effect it had on me.

Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and I soon realised that for me, absorbing myself in the act of making pasta provided this. During this