We all know floatation therapy is a favourable way to soothe and heal the body from the constant stress of life’s daily pressures. It leaves behind the noise and confusion, allowing you to experience total relaxation in a peaceful space, but no one really considers floatation therapy as a way to improve mental health – in particular, men’s mental health.
Challenges in life can take a serious toll, and talking about the hard stuff can prove difficult, but one of the best things you can do to look after yourself is to do more of what makes you feel great and more of what helps you de-stress.
So how can floatation therapy help with improving mental health, specifically for men?
Helps clear the mind
Most people work at a million miles an hour, and it can be difficult to attempt even two minutes of meditation – there’s a business to run, family commitments, financial stresses, it can all seem overwhelming at times. However floating forces the body to simply let go and breathe. There are no noises or lights, and so is the perfect introduction to learning about the meditative mindset. The feeling of deep and profound relaxation is a state of mind that Buddhist monks try to reach through hours of meditation and years of training.
On average, one in eight men will experience depression and one in five will go through anxiety at some stage of their lives*, so if talking about issues just doesn’t appear to be an option, taking time out to clear the mind and find a calming state of peace through floatation is an option.
A shift in brain chemistry
The brain uses a lot of human power to deal with a large amount of strain, but in a floatation tank, your body is completely supported and you feel a state of weightlessness. Because there is so little for your brain to do, every muscle gets an opportunity to relax and allows you to experience that same feeling you get at the cusp of falling sleep.
To get technical, floating offers a natural increase in dopamine and other neurotransmitters, which create feelings of euphoria and aid mental relaxation. During floatation, nuclei called amygdala (which is responsible for our flight or fight response) shuts itself off, turning off all your anxiety. With lower rates of help-seeking behaviour amongst Australian men, floatation is an individualistic form of therapy where you can just be with yourself and welcome a state of deep ease to get those nuclei cells back to where you want them to be.
Be where you want to be emotionally, mentally
The result you get after walking out of a floatation tank will be insurmountable, with feelings of restoration and rejuvenation. Finding a balance for good mental health can at times be tricky, but attempting something new to see if you will benefit from it will equip you with the knowledge and skills to say, ‘Hey, I tried that and it worked, or it didn’t.’
Help get yourself to where you want to be in life emotionally and mentally, and take advantage of an innovative way to experience meditation, calm, peace and relaxation through floatation.
*Beyondblue statistics
