How Hot Tubs Reduce Anxiety and Stress

There’s no shortage of reasons to feel tense in today’s society, whether from work pressures, current events, or the constant flow of digital notifications. It’s not unusual to feel anxious or stressed out sometimes, and many of us go through it every week. Luckily, there are a variety of ways to counterbalance these stressors, one of the most effective being by relaxing in a hot tub. Your spa is more than just a high-end appliance for your home - it’s actually a therapeutic tool with scientifically proven benefits for anxiety treatment.

But don’t just take our word for it - keep reading to learn exactly how hot tubs are highly effective at reducing anxiety and stress.

The Physically-Calming Effects of Warm Water

Taking a soak in warm water does a lot more than you might think. From the moment you dip beneath the surface, your body starts to positively respond and react in several areas:

Nervous System

Your hot tub’s water temperature will typically fall between 100°F and 104°F (37°C to 40°C), which will instantly trigger a response from your parasympathetic nervous system. This part of your nervous system is responsible for your “rest and digest” functions and when activated, it will promote relaxation, lower your heart rate, and reduce stress hormones such as cortisol.

Warm water also encourages the production of endorphins, also known as your body’s “natural painkillers.” Endorphins will help promote a sense of well-being, reduce pain reception, and promote overall happiness and relaxation. When combined with the soothing effects of warm water, these can drastically reduce your tension and help with anxiety treatment.

Blood Circulation

As your body adjusts to warmer water, your blood vessels will begin to dilate, promoting better blood flow throughout your body. This improved circulation will deliver nutrients and oxygen to vital organs and tissues, especially the brain. Overall, this will calm your body, reducing the feelings of stress that can accompany anxiety and nervousness.

The buoyancy of water will also relieve pressure on joints and muscles, reducing the physical tension and muscle tightness that can accompany stress and anxiety.

Hydrotherapy for Stress Relief

The therapeutic use of water for healing and relaxation has been practiced for thousands of years across the world, providing a variety of benefits for body, mind, and anxiety treatment:

Muscle Relaxation

Stress can manifest itself through muscle tightness, body aches, and other physical symptoms. Fortunately, the gentle pressure of hydrotherapeutic jets is the ideal way to alleviate them, massaging key areas like the neck, back, and shoulders where tension is commonly stored. Jets will also promote muscle relaxation, soothing your sore muscles, easing your joint pain, and promoting overall tension relief throughout the body.

Hydromassage

Most spas come equipped with massage jets, providing a targeted high-flow, low-pressure hydrotherapy experience. This will not only reduce muscle tension but also promote the release of dopamine, a powerful neurotransmitter that is most notably involved in helping us feel pleasure. The more dopamine released, the more pleasure you will feel, and the better your relaxation experience will become.

The rhythmic motion of hydrotherapeutic jets can also have a calming effect on the mind, similar to the effects of a typical massage. This will help reduce levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress, and help promote relaxation while improving your overall mood.

Psychological Benefits of Hot Tubs

Your hot tub provides a quiet, private space to focus on the present, decompress, and clear the mind. This can be essential in altering your mood, assisting in anxiety treatment, and promoting positive thinking.

Mindfulness

By definition, mindfulness refers to the practice of being aware of your current thoughts, feelings, and surroundings without judgment or interpretation. What better place to do that than in the comfort of your own backyard, fully immersed in a blanket of warm water?

From the moment you step foot in your hot tub, you are immersed in a calming, soothing environment that allows you to fully focus on the present moment. The rhythmic sound of the jets, paired with bubbling warm water will make it easier to clear your mind and escape from any stressors. By focusing on the sounds around you, your breathing, and the sensation of warm water, you will be able to more easily calm your mind and find a peaceful mental state.

Disconnecting from Technology

Although many of today’s hot tubs are quite technologically advanced, they also offer the ideal opportunity to disconnect from technology, more specifically your smartphone. Constant connectivity and information overload are major contributors to anxiety and stress within today’s society, and temporarily distancing yourself from them is the ideal way to clear your mind and find inner tranquility.

Taking a break from technology can also help your brain reset, allowing you to return to work or other responsibilities with a clearer, calmer mindset. This can boost your productivity and help your work feel less stressful. 

anxiety treatment

Socializing in Your Hot Tub

While hot tubs can provide a great space for solidarity and inner mindfulness, they can also be ideal for socializing, whether with family, friends, or loved ones. Here are several ways hot tub-induced socialization can have a positive effect on your mental health:

Reducing Social Anxiety

For those searching for social anxiety treatment, hot tubs can offer a low-pressure environment to socialize with ease. Added calmness and tranquility from a hot tub can reduce feelings of self-consciousness, making it easier to engage in conversation. Better yet, the physical benefits of warm water can help reduce the symptoms of social anxiety, like muscle tension and an increased heart rate, to make socialization more manageable.

Strengthening Relationships

Positive social interaction is an essential part of mental health. With every meaningful interaction, oxytocin, a hormone associated with bonding and trust, is released. This hormone can reduce stress levels and promote feelings of happiness and security.

Your hot tub is the ideal place for positive social interactions, as your body is relaxed, your mind is calm, and your stress levels are low. When others join you in your spa, they share this same sentiment, helping enhance your bonds and strengthen your relationships. This can be especially helpful in building confidence, reducing feelings of loneliness, and calming the mind.

Long-Term Benefits

Like any positive mindfulness technique, the long-term merits stem from consistency. Here are several ways you can boost your benefits over time:

Incorporate your Hot Tub into Your Routine

Whether it’s daily, weekly, or anywhere in between, spending more time in your hot tub will allow you to reap more of the benefits discussed above. Carving out time in your routine is a great way to do this, be it after working out, before bed, or a quick dip during the day. The more you soak, the better the benefits.

Personalize Your Space

Your hot tub is meant to help you relax, so why not have it reflect your personality? Adding your own flair to your tub is a great way to help you unwind more easily and create a space where your body can feel at ease. The easier it is for your body to relax, the more benefit you will gain from spending time in your spa.

Where should you start? Lighting, foliage, and artwork are all easy, cost-effective ways to enhance your spa area. Water features and other added amenities can also boost the ambiance. Check out our article on “Creating your own Relaxation Retreat for more inspiration.

Maintenance

Just like it’s important to take care of your body, it’s important to take care of your hot tub. Prioritizing maintenance is crucial in ensuring your experience of owning a hot tub is as stress-free as possible. If your hot tub is having issues, it will be much harder for you to use it to reduce your anxiety and stress.

Luckily, integrated smartphone systems like Sundance SmartTub (with a Spa Sense® add-on), have made hot tub water care and maintenance a breeze. This simplified app offers automatic chemistry testing and personalized reporting to take the work out of water care, helping you prioritize your mindfulness without any extra stressors. 

Whether you’re looking to relieve stress or anxiety, or just want to relax, owning a hot tub is the ideal way to unwind and calm the mind. Both the warm water and hydrotherapy of a hot tub offer benefits for both the mind and body that simply cannot be matched by any other home appliance. So, if you’re looking to boost your mood, feel rejuvenated, and improve your day-to-day emotional state, we would highly recommend adding some hot tub time into your routine.

To learn more about the Sundance brand and our extensive line of hot tubs, visit us online at https://www.sundancespas.com/en-us/.