It’s Mental Health Awareness month and now more than ever, this month should be getting some serious attention. Since the start of the pandemic, 41% of adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression which is up from just 11% in 2019(kff.com). 36% of adults have reported having trouble sleeping or eating. 26% of adults have reported stress related symptoms(NIMH.com). It’s no secret this pandemic has wreaked havoc on our mental health as a whole. Living in isolation, managing working from home with children, serious financial crises, and living in fear.
How do we continue coping and caring for ourselves in a time like this? Well, lucky for us it looks as though mask restrictions and social distancing guidelines are slowly being lifted, so that is a bright light for many people. Until things return to normal, and before we completely lose our minds, self care really truly is so important. You’re probably sick of hearing it and rolling your eyes saying “yea, when can I take time to care for myself?”. In order for you to be your best everyday for everyone or everything else, you have to worry about YOU first sometimes.
One really therapeutic option to explore, if it’s in your budget, is the benefit of hot tubbing daily. If you’re concerned about your health & safety, you have kids at home and can’t escape the house even if you wanted to, or you’re just lacking the motivation to get yourself out of the house – you don’t even have to leave home to do this for yourself. It’s steps away right in your backyard where your kids are safe, you’re safe, and you don’t need to even put on a pair of shoes. So, what are hot tub mental health benefits?
A lot happens when you immerse yourself into hot water.
Mental Health Benefits of Hot Tubbing
Lower Stress Levels
What’s your first reaction when easing yourself into warm water? A long involuntary “Ahhhh…” and a deep breath. It’s no wonder why hot tubbing helps relieve the days stresses. According to Healthline.com, the combination of warm water and massage helps relive physical, emotional, and mental stress. When you immerse yourself into hot water, your circulation increases 120% meaning more oxygen to your body and your brain. Take deeper breaths & let the massage work out any muscular tension. Plus, that 15-30 minutes to yourself is definitely a great way to relax & relieve stress.
Improves Anxiety
Hand in hand with stress, anxiety tends to creep in when we have so much on our minds and we start to feel overwhelmed. When you take a moment to yourself & eliminate any demands for a moment, you can take time to think more clearly and focus on what it is that you need. Hot tubbing can help improve anxiety by calming your mind with the tranquility of spending time outside in nature. The gentle white noise of the jets can help drown out your thoughts and create a calm environment. Immersing yourself in warm water creates a “womb effect” which brings our subconscious back to the feeling of safety. All of this can help you cope with daily anxiety & give you a fresh start or a cleansing end to your day.
Promotes Quality Sleep
Several studies have been done on the benefits of hot water and quality of sleep. Specifically, the National Library of Medicine listed a study on the effects of passive body heating on sleep. The study concluded that immersing your body in warm water 1.5 hours before bedtime helped the participants sleep longer and deeper. Another study listed in the National Library of Medicine had to do with the effects of hydrotherapy on sleep. The conclusion was that the participants who had a hydrotherapeutic massage prior to bedtime had better quality sleep than those that did not. The exact results were the following: “physical function, work absenteeism, ability to do job, pain intensity, fatigue, morning tiredness, stiffness (P < 0.0001), anxiety (P = 0,0013), and depression (P < 0.0001). Sleep quality (P < 0.0001) and daytime sleepiness (P = 0.0003) also improved.”.
Deep Relaxation
It’s no secret that hot tubs are extremely soothing. This is why you see them in day spas, gyms, hotels, and backyards! The combination of warm water, hydrotherapy, soothing sound of the jets, and being out in nature can really promote a sense of deep relaxation. Some even take advantage of this alone time to practice their daily meditation.
Reconnect
This is something that is incredibly important when trying to cope with all of these new emotions we’re experiencing with increased isolation & stress. Reconnection is something that can mean coming back to yourself & reconnecting with who you are, what is important to you, what your goals and dreams are, who you love. Taking time to dive deeper into yourself is so important in coping and healing today.
Reconnection can also mean reconnecting with your spouse, with your children, and (if you’re feeling safe) with your friends as well. With all of the added stress and responsibility that life seems to keep adding to our plates as we grow older, we sometimes drift apart from the ones we love the most. Date nights don’t have to always be a planned dinner outing, you can have time to reconnect with your significant other right at home. You can also make it a weekly family tradition to hangout in the hot tub together and talk about life together. Ask any hot tubber and they’ll tell you there’s something about being in warm water together that allows you to really open up to someone. We believe this relates back to the “womb effect” that gives us an overall sense of safety.
Although you may be thinking “well, this sounds great but I can’t afford a hot tub so what do I do now?”. You’d be surprised at how affordable some options are. You can visit our Hot Tub Pricing Guide to learn more about how much hot tubs cost. Your other option is to look for a pre-owned hot tub. What’s great about these is that you have the opportunity to purchase a high quality brand hot tub at a price you can afford. Be careful not to fall for the cheap inflatable hot tubs, there are a lot of risks to purchasing these that can lead to wasting your hard earned money, fast. Also, there are always financing options available to purchase a hot tub so you can spread the payments out over time!
Be well, take care of yourself, and make the investment into your health & well being. You deserve it.
