Hot Bath Benefits: How it relieves stress & anxiety

Posted on June 24, 2020

A fast-paced, stressful environment sounds all too familiar for many of us. But carrying the stress forward into a new day can leave a negative impact on our mental wellbeing and productivity.

There’s nothing better than winding down after a stressful day with a hot bath. Learn about hot bath benefits, and how it relieves stress and anxiety to cleanse your body and mind.

Benefits of a Hot Bath:

There’s so much more to taking a bath than cleansing your body. Taking a hot bath regularly has been shown to effectively benefit mental and physical health in ways you probably didn’t imagine.

Here’s why you should take a regular bath to relieve stress and anxiety.

1) Reset your sleep body clock

Taking a hot bath before bedtime can prompt a feeling of deep relaxation - perfect for right before bed. Incorporating a hot bath before sleep can help regulate your sleep pattern to get you into a regular routine. As sleep deprivation is one of the key causes of stress and anxiety, catching blissful slumber every night will help reset and declutter your mind to prevent burn-out.

2) Uplift your mood

Studies show that taking a warm bath can boost circulation to the skin to promote overall health and wellbeing. When your skin is exposed to warm water, it releases endorphins similar to that experienced after a workout. Thus, soaking in a warm bath can help promote the production of feel-good hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine, to set your mood right after a busy and hecticn day.

3) Relieve pain and cramps

Stress does not only impact the mind, but affects the body in many ways. Stress may cause muscles to seize up and bring on excess tension to the nervous system. As a hot bath can improve circulation, it can soothe away pain and tension from the body that may exacerbate stress. 

4) Normalize and encourage deep breathing

Immersing yourself in a tub of hot water can improve breathing and oxygen uptake, by positively influencing your lung capacity. Breathing deeper is known to have a variety of positive effects on relieving stress and anxiety.

Giving your bathtime a soothing makeover

With all the benefits of a hot bath, plunging into a tub is underrated. But there’s so much more you can do to get the most out of your bath-time. Here’s how you can give yourself an indulgent, blissful bath to rejuvenate your body and mind.

1) Use essential oils:

Essential oils are aromatic and soothing, and reap an array of health benefits. Adding a few drops of lavender oil, chamomile oil or cedarwood is very therapeutic and relaxing. Test out different essential oils, or mix them up to create your own relaxing bath time formula.

2) Sprinkle in magnesium bath flakes:

Magnesium is an extremely essential mineral - particularly when it comes to your muscles and nerves. As many individuals are deficient in magnesium, finding ways to boost your serum levels is absolutely vital for your health. Destress and relax with a magnesium-infused bathtime by sprinkling in high quality magnesium bath flakes into your tub.

3) Dim the lighting:

Set the scene and have your own spa-at-home experience. Light up a few aromatic candles instead of harsh lighting to prompt your body to produce melatonin to get your body and mind ready for bedtime.

4) Find the right temperature:

Taking a bath that is too hot can be damaging to your skin and health. Keep the temperature at nothing higher than around 100 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal health benefits and relaxation.

5) Add soothing spa music:

The perfect addition for some shut-eye in the bath, turn up the spa atmosphere a notch by playing soft instrumental music to get you in the mood.

Conclusion

Taking a hot bath can be incredibly transformative to your physical and mental health in a multitude of ways. Soaking in a warm bath can support breathing, circulation and relieve pain to manage stress and keep anxiety at bay. Additionally, regular baths before bed-time can improve your sleep quality and duration.

Adding in magnesium bath flakes, playing some music and using essential oils can make a massive difference to your bath time experience and melt the stress away.

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