We hear about mental health and wellness so often, it’s easy to lose sight of how  important our own well being truly is. Did you know that one of the most underrated but  viscous symptoms of untreated clinical depression is a major change in sleep habits?  That might not sound so bad until you realize that research shows chronic lack of sleep  can lead to severe anxiety, respiratory disease, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and  even stroke? A consistent lack of sleep or poor sleep even shortens your life  expectancy. And combatting depression is just one aspect of mental health. Whether  you have a mental disorder or not, it is imperative that we take the time to take care of  ourselves because our mental state is what dictates the flow of our daily lives. At Float,  we offer many services to help you along your journey. Until we see you next time, here  are a few ideas to help you focus on your mental wellbeing: 



1. Move Your Body 

You knew this one was coming. We don’t have roots, we have legs! We’re  designed to move. But you don’t have to spend hours in the gym slamming  weights or running endlessly on the hamster wheel (aka treadmill) to achieve the  mood and mental boosts that come from exercise. Take a walk or go for a hike.  Take the stairs sometimes. Stand more. Park a bit farther away from the door.  You’ve heard these before, but there are great reasons everyone is always  talking about exercise. Moving your body changes your brain chemistry which  leaves you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious. Exercise also delivers  more oxygen and nutrients to your tissues (including your brain!). This makes  your body more efficient which gives you more energy. 

2. Get More Zzzzz’s 

This can be a tough one. But lack of proper sleep impacts every single health  marker negatively. (Read that again: Every. Single. One.) Without enough sleep,  your mental and emotional states decline; you will be more impatient, more  prone to mood swings, more hungry the next day, more likely to get sick and  more fatigued (obviously). Your blood pressure and systemic inflammation  increase while your decision-making processes, your ability to handle stress,  your digestion, your memory, your hormone production and your creativity drop  off significantly. Short of adding more hours to the day, what are we to do? You  probably know all the tips and tricks already – sleep in a cool, dark, quiet room, 

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 limit screen time before bed, limit caffeine later in the day, stick to a sleep and  wake schedule, get regular exercise – but really, it comes down to this: make  sleep a priority. Make yourself a priority. 

3. Meditation 

You can’t get five feet in the mental wellness space without bumping into  “Meditate!” or “Relax!” Guess what? That’s because it works. Research shows  again and again that habitual meditation reduces stress and anxiety, promotes  emotional health, lengthens attention span, enhances self-awareness, lowers  blood pressure, reduces negative emotions, helps you focus on the present and  increases patience and tolerance. It gets even better. Mindfulness meditation  can slow brain aging and can combat depression and anxiety every bit as well  as medication. But meditation is a learned skill, it’s not just sitting there doing  nothing. Need a little help getting started? Science show us that Float Therapy  increases the brain’s production of theta waves – that supremely relaxed state  between asleep and awake. Buddhist monks use Zen Meditation to reach this  elusive state, and it takes them years of practice. Jump-start your meditation  journey with a float session, and experience for yourself why meditation &  relaxation techniques make an appearance on every mental wellness list. 

4. Disconnect From Technology 

Excessive screen time (and all the comes with it) has been concretely linked to  diseases like obesity, diabetes and cancer as well as an increased risk for  mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. What are you likely doing  while you’re scrolling or typing? You’re sitting. You’re not interacting face-to-face  with anyone. Scrolling social media, playing video games or watching T.V. in the  evening supersedes your natural circadian rhythms which up-ends your daily  hormonal rises and falls. You have more trouble relaxing or falling asleep  because your brain couldn’t produce the melatonin that signals your body to  slow down and to prepare for sleep. It’s also important to disconnect from  technology during our waking hours. The technological onslaught of emails,  notifications, calls, texts, beeps and buzzes constantly keeps us on alert. Our  brain interprets these interruptions as low-key stressors. Why not combine a  break from technology with a relaxation or meditation exercise to get the most  bang for your buck? Schedule a massage or a float session, and enjoy not only  their inherent relaxation benefits but also the sense of calm that comes from  turning your phone off for an hour. 

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5. Show Your Strength 

You see vase on a table. Someone accidentally bumps into it, and it starts to fall.  Do you wait until it shatters on the ground until you act, or do you try to catch it  before it falls? Sure, you try to catch it. But what about our own lives? Do we  recognize the areas or experiences in our lives that we might need some help to  unpack, or do we wait until we’ve gone off the rails before we ask for help? Even  superheroes have sidekicks. They don’t go it alone. Sometimes we all need a  little help. Asking for that help is not weakness; it is strength and self-love and  self-awareness. Our scars are our stories; they shape and refine us, but they  don’t have to define us. You have survived 100% of your bad days. Be proud of  yourself. Show how strong you are: ask for help when you need it, and give help  where you can. 

We are told over and over to “take care of ourselves,” but we are rarely taught how. We  likely aren’t even taught why it is so vital. Some of us even feel that taking time for  ourselves or talking about our mental wellness struggles is seen as a weakness or as  something to be ashamed of. The reality is that we all struggle in one way or another.  We all need help along our path. Embarking on the journey of becoming a better  version of ourselves and of healing from past wounds is a sign of strength. It can be  difficult, but it is always worth the effort. Float is committed to standing alongside you  and to supporting you. From Float Therapy and massage to our salt lounge and  saunas, we offer several proven treatments to help you achieve your wellness goals.