How Bathing can benefit your Mental Wellbeing

June 17, 2022
Posted by Jeannette Oelschlaegel

From Roman Baths to Japanese Onsen, bathing in warm mineral-rich waters (Balneotherapy) has been recognised for centuries as a natural way to support a healthy body and mind.But what’s the science behind it and can it really be achieved as a home-spa treatment? We take a closer look at this traditional therapeutic ritual which is thought to provide a variety of ways for how to relax mind and body, bringing benefit to our mental wellbeing.

Switch Off…properly fro your wellbeing

Recommended as part of your daily routine by health and wellbeing experts, ‘me-time’ gives your busy brain a chance to rest, reset and recharge. Taking a break to do something in a safe space helps teach your body to naturally calm down, which is key to effectively managing stress levels. This can reduce baseline anxiety and benefit our sleep, mood and overall feelings of wellbeing.

Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for taking a bath accompanied by Netflix. But if you’re looking for a true wellbeing boost, then it’s about disconnecting from the world for a while and taking a step away from life. This means no devices. Just let your body and mind be still. .

Get the Temperature Right

It’s still early days in the research but the theory is that gently warming the skin sends signals to the brain which can trigger a positive emotional response similar to the endorphin release experienced through exercise. Although this is unlikely to provide long-term changes to the brain, it does help give your mood a temporary boost.

One study in Japan[1] compared regular bathing for at least 10 minutes in 40°C water with regular showering. The results showed significantly improved mood and reduced stress in those who bathed compared to those who showered.

40°C seems to be the magic number for how to relax mind and body. The research indicates that not only does this temperature bath seem to help reduce stress and tension, but it’s also the optimum warmth for how to sleep better.

Sleep can play a significant role in our mental wellbeing according to mental health charity Mind. Poor quality sleep and lack of sleep are thought to contribute to feelings of anxiety, irritability and difficulty concentrating.

Scientists in Texas[2] were recently looking into how to get better sleep and discovered that if we take a bath of around 40°C between 1-2 hours before bed, it can help us fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. If you’re unsure about the temperature of your water then you could try using a simple bath thermometer.

Cocoon

if you’re looking at how to relax your mind and body from anxiety, then it can be worth paying more attention to your environment. Our recent awareness of Hygge helped us to recognise the importance of comfortable and cosy living, and a bath provides the perfect opportunity to fully embrace this.

So turn down the lights and use candles, choose your favourite essential oils for a comforting fragrance and prepare a warm, fluffy towel to wrap yourself in. Creating a soothing, anti-anxiety environment is one of the best ways to calm down stress - especially once cocooned in the warm waters of your bath.

Research on bathing habits conducted by Yale[3] university suggests that when we’re feeling lonely we take more baths as we subconsciously crave warmth for a feeling of comfort. Not only that, but the more lonely we feel, the warmer and longer our baths are likely to be.

Baths became a popular part of our nation’s self-care during lockdown, and this research could indicate why that was so.

Add Magnesium and Aromatherapy to your wellbeing ritual

We’d recommend that the best bath salts for relaxing and de-stressing your mind and body are ones containing Magnesium and Aromatherapy.

Magnesium is a mineral which is involved in the production and regulation of many hormones relating to our mental wellbeing such as Serotonin (the happy hormone), Melatonin (the sleep hormone) and Cortisol (the stress hormone).

Our bodies need constant replenishment of Magnesium, so giving your bath a boost with Epsom Salts or Magnesium Flakes is a great way to help maintain healthy Magnesium levels. If you also need muscle relaxing bath salts, then look no further, as they help soothe tired aching muscles.

If you want a muscle relaxing bath then make sure you keep topping up the water so that the temperature stays consistent. You don’t want to find your muscles are getting cold, as it’s the warmth that helps to relax tension.

Combining Aromatherapy with Magnesium-rich bath salts such as Epsom and Dead Sea Salts is the ultimate solution for how to calm down after a stressful day.

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