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relaxing bath ideas

Spa Day at Home: Relaxing Bath Ideas to De-stress Your Body and Mind

VWB Blog 2 years ago 6

Americans are among the most stressed-out people in the world. More than 80% of people are stressed out about rising costs (rent, gas, and groceries), the invasion of Ukraine, COVID-19, supply chain issues, and global uncertainty.

Stress impacts your ability to focus and it takes a toll on your physical health. There are dozens of ways to reduce stress and get it under control.

Exercise, social activities, and breathing techniques are a few of those methods.

Spa treatments and relaxing bath ideas are others. The good news is that you don’t have to leave the house to give yourself a luxurious spa day that costs hundreds of dollars.

All you have to do is stay where you are and keep reading. You’re about to learn how to take a relaxing bath with these relaxing bath ideas.

The Connection Between Relaxing Baths and Stress Reduction

What is it about water that makes the body relax? Let’s look at what happens to the body when you’re stressed out.

Stress is different for everyone, which is why there isn’t a singular definition for it. For some people, stress is a negative emotion.

There are physical stresses, which are similar to working out. There are also stresses that trigger the fight or flight response in the nervous system.

Stress usually starts as a thought. That thought can spiral into worry, anxiety, or panic. For instance, you have a deadline and you worry that you’ll get fired if you miss it.

The nervous system gets triggered and releases chemicals and hormones into the body to be on alert. That’s enough of a shot to survive the immediate threat.

The trouble is when you’re in a constant state of fight or flight. Your body gets flooded with those chemicals and hormones.

What happens when you take a bath is that you’re in hot water. The hot water brings your body temperature up, which calms the nervous system down.

It also improves circulation and helps you sleep better. Better sleep allows you to cope with stress better.

Tips to Make Your Bath Even More Relaxing

Yes, sitting in hot water can help you relax. There are more relaxing bath ideas to get even better results from your time in the tub.

For instance, you can play classical music while you soak. Classical music has physiological effects that you probably never considered before.

Classical music relaxes the mind, which then releases dopamine. Your level of pleasure increases and your body can’t produce stress hormones thanks to dopamine.

Your mood and focus improve as a result. You’re also more relaxed because of the dopamine.

Do you need to sit in the tub longer to reduce stress levels even more? Longer doesn’t necessarily mean better. You can sit in the tub for ten to 20 minutes.

After that, you won’t gain more benefits from the bath. Let’s take a look at some other ways to take a relaxing bath.

Adding Candles

You want to be safe in the tub, so you need the right amount of lighting. Standard bathroom lights don’t have dimmer switches.

You’re either in the dark or you’re in a brightly lit room.

A relaxing bath with candles lets you add ambiance and let the dim light of a candle bring down your stress levels.

Aromatherapy Baths

Does aromatherapy actually reduce stress? It turns out that it’s not a myth. You can use aromatherapy products in the bath to reduce stress.

Here’s how it works: certain aromas trigger certain responses in the body. Think of when you walk into a kitchen and you smell a great meal cooking.

Your mouth starts to salivate and you start to get hungry.

Aromatherapy uses specific aromas to target the nervous system. Lavender is best known for stress reduction.

Other aromas like mint and citrus help with focus and stress relief.

You can bring aromatherapy to another level by adding scented candles to your bath.

Add essential oils to your bath for aromatherapy. You’ll get an additional benefit because the oils get absorbed by your body and enter the bloodstream.

Use Salts

Stress impacts the physical body beyond your nervous system. Your muscles remain in a tense state as long as you experience stress.

That comes with muscle soreness, tiredness, and spasms.

Bath salts help with stress reduction because they dissolve in warm water. As they break down, they turn into magnesium and sulfate.

Both chemicals get absorbed into the body and go to work on your muscles. They help the muscles relax and reduce inflammation.

Relaxing bath salts with essential oils like these bath and body products lets you unwind and relax in the tub.

Creating the Perfect Bath Environment

Candles, salts, and essential oils are great to add for a relaxing bath, but your environment calms your mind as much as the products do.

Set up your space before you set foot in the tub. Get a bath pillow, candles, or whatever products you want to have.

Remove the clutter from your bathroom. You’ll stare at it and clutter your mind when you’re trying to relax.

Keep a glass of water nearby to rehydrate as soon as you step out of the tub. You can also have a glass of your favorite beverage and a snack to chew on, too.

This is your time, and you want to make sure that your phone is on silent and there are zero distractions.

Take Charge of Stress With These Relaxing Bath Ideas

You do a lot during the course of the day. You have to manage your career, family, and outside pressures.

The stress can add up and take a toll on your body and mental health. Destress by using any of these relaxing bath ideas. You’ll be able to handle anything the day throws at you.

Did you enjoy learning how to take a relaxing bath? You’ll love the other articles on the blog. Check them out today!

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