A good bath might be seen as a little luxury now and then, but beyond some essential
self-care, it actually has scientifically proven benefits for your mental healthWriting | Fiona Thomas1 GET THE TEMPERATURE
SPOT ON
Warm baths help ease physical
tension, relax anxious muscles,
and give you that orgasmic, loosey-
goosey feeling when you’re tightly
wound. They can even aid with
digestion problems, and lower
blood sugar levels.
The perfect bath for a healthy
adult should be between 40–45C,
ideally in a room that is 25C. This
magical combination will increase
body temperature in a comfortable
way, due to the reduced cold stress
from the exterior environment.T
hroughout history,
bathing has always
been about more
than just personal
hygiene. Cleanliness
was seen as a symbol of power
and beauty in ancient times,
and baths were taken publicly
as a way to socialise and build
communities.
Nowadays of course, a hot
bubble bath is associated with
solitude and self-care, a little
luxury that many of us look
forward to after a stressful day, or
a tough workout. But studies show
that the benefits of bathing are
more than just skin deep.
In a German study, participants
with depression reported a boost
in mood after soaking in a 40C
bath for 30 minutes. In fact, in this
experiment, regular baths proved
to be more effective in aiding
depression than aerobic exercise.
A Japanese study also looked
into the mental health benefits of
bathing, this time, in comparison
to showering. They found that
bathing resulted in less stress,tension-anxiety, anger-hostility,
and depression, in the people who
took part.
It’s believed that hot baths
are particularly transformative
because they warm us up.
Increased body temperature
at night helps synchronise our
natural circadian rhythms, leading
to better sleep patterns, along
with improved quality of sleep and
overall wellbeing.
In an article published on
PsychologyToday.com, Peter
Bongiorno, ND, LAc explains that
bathing can even lead to chemical
changes in the brain.
He writes: “Decreases in stress
hormones (like cortisol) have
been reported with water bathing
(Toda et al., 2006). It has also been
shown that water bathing may
also help the balance of the feel
good neurotransmitter, serotonin
(Marzsziti et al., 2007).”
But before you get lathered up,
here are a few tips on how to create
a soothing experience that will
help you rebalance in the comfort
of your own home.2 ESSENTIAL OILS
Aromatherapist and Therapy
Directory member Megan Viney
explains that although lavender is a
firm favourite with those looking to
relax, it’s not the only choice.
“Vetiver is a brilliant option for
settling the mind, and frankincense
is renowned for helping let go of
worries,” Megan notes.
For a good night’s sleep try ylang
ylang, and to invigorate, try a citrus
oil such as petitgrain or bergamot.Soak it upSoak it up