Cooking for Yourself Is an Act of Self-Respect

There is a strange cultural habit of treating solo meals as not worth the effort. Eating cereal over the sink, ordering takeout because "it is just me" — as if you only deserve a proper meal when someone else is watching. Cooking for yourself is one of the most direct ways to show that you value your own well-being.

You do not need to make a three-course dinner. A simple omelette with fresh herbs, a bowl of pasta with good olive oil, a piece of fish with roasted vegetables — these take fifteen minutes and send a clear message to yourself: I am worth feeding properly. Do this consistently and it changes how you relate to yourself.