Have you ever had one of those very stressful days, where the stress seems to just pile-up on you? If you are unsure how to unwind and relieve the stress, then taking a bath can help you! Here are a few tips on how to set up a bath for stress-relief:
Set Up A Relaxing Atmosphere
The very first step you should make is to take the time to set up a relaxing atmosphere. You don’t have to spend a lot of time to set up the atmosphere, it can only be a few minutes, while your bathtub is filling up, but it makes all the difference. Here are a few things that can help you set up the right atmosphere and don’t take a lot of time to set-up:
- Candles – Grab a few candles, especially if you have some aromatherapy candles laying around in your home, set them up around your bathtub and light them up. Sometimes, strong light can add to your stress, so having a softer, more pleasant light source such as candles can enhance relaxation and stress relief.
- Essential Oils or Herbal Tea Bath – To promote further relaxation you can also add some herbs to your bathwater such as
herbal bath teas or essential oils like chamomile or lavender to promote relaxation.
- Home Ingredients – You can also use your expensive bath products if you invested in some, or you can use some
home ingredients to help you relax.
Get Comfortable
The most important part for stress relief through baths is to make yourself comfortable, because if you aren’t comfortable then you will only get more stressed and irritated. So, how can you get more comfortable? First off you have to set the right temperature of the water.
If the water is too cold, you won’t be able to relax, and if the water is too hot you won’t be able to stay in the bathwater for a longer period of time. Furthermore, if your bathtub is uncomfortable, then invest in a good bath pillow to ensure the ultimate relaxation and comfort.
What should you do?
Alright, you did all the steps, you set-up the atmosphere, you are in the tub, and now what should you do? Here are a few ideas:
- Remain In The Present – Whatever you do, remember that this is not the time to allow your anxious and stressful thoughts to take over. This is your time, to set aside everything that causes you to stress, and simply take notice of your existence, and enjoy it. The easiest way to take off the focus off any thoughts is to focus on your breath. Take deep breaths and simply focus on breathing in and out.
- Silence – If you had an especially stressful day you might not want to listen to music or do anything at all. And that’s okay! However, make sure you are really sitting in silence. Empty your mind, and simply relax in the silence.
- Music – Sometimes music helps a lot when it comes to relaxing. However, we recommend to skip out on the playlist of your favorite songs and put on something more relaxing, such as
a compilation of relaxing spa music. They are very easy to find on YouTube and they last for hours, plus they are specifically designed to help you relax and relieve stress.
- Singing – If you feel especially stressed and nothing else works, then singing might help. Yes, it might sound silly but a lot of studies show that singing helps in elevating our mood and relieving stress.
Soak Up The Right Time
Now that you have set up everything, and you are getting in the bath, it’s important to stay the right time so that you are fully relaxed. For best results, we recommend that you stay inside the bathwater for at least half an hour, and more if you feel the need to.
If you get out of the bathwater too soon, you won’t fully relieve the stress in your body and mind, so it’s important to soak in the water for at least half an hour, to fully experience the stress-relieving benefits of a bath.
Besides simply sitting for the right time, it’s also important to have the right amount of bathwater in the tub. It’s important to be as submerged in water as much as your bathtub allows. Ideally, you should be submerged in water up to the neck.
Be Mindful Of What You Do Afterwards
Once you get out of the bathtub, it’s not the time to indulge in the same stressful situations and thoughts. That will only reverse the stress-relieving bath process. So, get out of your bathroom, in your
comfy bath towels and go to bed, lay down and relax. It’s even better to go to sleep, or take a nap, to further enhance the relaxation.
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