Float Therapy & Your Mental Wellness

The past year has amplified how much mental health plays a role in our everyday lives. While one in four American adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder, many people are experiencing stress levels that are at an all-time high. At FLOAT, we are committed to offering solutions that contribute to your overall mental wellness.  Throughout 2021 we will be offering information you can use to help you prioritize your mental health. 

Any one of us is susceptible to bouts of depression or anxiety, and pretty much all of us are under stress. At FLOAT, we take mental health very seriously, and we have hand-picked  services that are proven to contribute to your overall mental wellness. Our services include floatation therapy, massage, saunas, a (gorgeous!) salt lounge, and light therapy to help you achieve optimum wellness. The star of our show is floatation therapy. We all sense the influence water has on our mental wellbeing. Think about being near water. You feel a bit more relaxed just from the thought of it. The tension in your shoulders slacks, your breath slows slightly, your thoughts calm. The mental benefits of even just a single hour of floatation therapy are profound.There are literally dozens of benefits to floating; here are just a few highlights regarding its effects on mental wellbeing: 

1. Reduces Depression

While the causes of depression can be somewhat murky and treatments even

more so, there is another option to add to your arsenal of

self-care: floatation therapy. One study showed that after float sessions, patients

saw a marked decrease in depression and an increase in optimism. The best

part? In some cases these changes lasted for months. Floatation therapy naturally increases your dopamine and endorphin levels, both of which are vital to combatting

depression.

2. Reduces Anxiety And Stress

More than 40 million adults in the United States suffer from anxiety disorders.

Our lives are inherently stressful; we internalize that stress and simply soldier on

because we have jobs and families. How do we de-stress while maintaining our

livelihoods and relationships? Research has shown that Floatation Therapy tamps

down anxiety in the brain in a way that rivals some prescription drugs. Basically,

after a float, the part of your brain that is responsible for the fight-or-flight

response to threats (either real or perceived) – the amygdala – shuts off. Floating,

in a way, turns off stress and anxiety.

3. Relaxation Levels You’ve Likely Never Experienced

Why is it so hard to truly relax? Our brains are exceptional, and they handle the

daily onslaught of input from the world around us with seeming ease. The down

side of that, however, is that no matter how hard you try to relax, your brain is

still constantly receiving and processing data. During a float, your are

weightless, you are in complete darkness (if you choose), you hear almost

nothing, you are not focused on taste or smell or touch. The lack of external

stimuli allows your blood pressure and heart rate to slow and allows your stress

hormone production to drop dramatically. In addition, since your brain isn’t

receiving external stimuli to the degree that it’s use to, you are able to reach a

deeply relaxing and meditative state that is very likely the most relaxed physical

and mental state you’ve ever experienced.

The inevitable stress of life can often leave us feeling overwhelmed. We are so busy

being responsible and productive that we lose sight of our own wellness. But you can’t

pour from an empty vessel.  We must find ways to make ourselves a priority so that

we can save space to care for others. If you are looking for ways to combat depression,

stress, or anxiety, floatation therapy can have a huge positive impact on your mental

wellbeing. Whether you’d like to try float session alone or to combine floating with any

of our other relaxation and wellness services, at FLOAT, we are committed to partnering

with you to help you achieve sustainable and life-long mental wellness.