Stress Management Tips for Parents Using Hot Tubs

Being a parent is one of life’s most rewarding roles, but it can also be one of the most stressful ones. Between managing work, going back and forth to school, cooking meals, and extracurricular activities, it can often feel impossible to find time to relax, recharge, and gain some inner peace as a parent.

So what’s the solution? There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to stress management, or parenting, but many are finding relief using a simple at-home appliance: the hot tub. For thousands of years, civilizations have nurtured both body and mind by soaking in hot water. Whether Roman baths, Japanese onsens, or your next-door neighbor’s backyard, hot tubs provide the ideal way to relax the body, let off steam, and find mental clarity. Keep reading to learn how they can help parents do the same.

Why hot tubs?

Aside from being an eye-catching fixture for your home, hot tubs offer a plethora of benefits for your muscles, mental health, and overall well-being. These can include:

Stress Management: Warm water encourages the production of endorphins which help promote a sense of well-being, reduce pain reception, and encourage overall happiness and relaxation. Hot tubs will also trigger a response from your parasympathetic nervous system, lowering your heart rate and reducing stress hormones such as cortisol.

Physical Relaxation: Heated water promotes better blood circulation, helping calm the body, relieve aching muscles, and reduce tension. Hydromassage features within your tub also encourage the release of dopamine, a powerful neurotransmitter that is most notably involved in helping us feel pleasure.

Improved Sleep: Soaking in your hot tub before bed can relax both mind and body, making it easier to fall asleep and improving your sleep quality. Your spa can also provide you with a meditative experience, giving you time to clear your mind, focus on your breathing, and calm your thoughts before bed.

Disconnecting from Technology: Constant connectivity and information overload are major contributors to anxiety and stress, especially as a parent. Temporarily distancing yourself from these distractions in your spa can help your brain reset, allowing you to return to parenting and other responsibilities with a clearer, calmer mindset.

Family Bonding: Your hot tub provides a neutral, relaxing space to spend time with your loved ones without the distractions of screens or daily chores. Spas are also the ideal place for positive social interactions, as your body is relaxed, your mind is calm, and your stress levels are low.

Hot Tub Stress Management Tips

Ready to dip beneath the surface? Incorporating your hot tub into your parenting routine is easy, and if you’re like most of us out there, it won’t take much convincing to get you into the tub. Here are some of our best tips for hot tub stress relief:

Set the Right Mood

The more relaxed you feel the more stress you can relieve. Enhance the effects of your spa by incorporating personalization into your hot tub and the area around it. This can include:

  • Lighting: Candles, hanging lights, or soft, dim lighting can help create a tranquil, relaxation-inducing environment.
  • Music: Brighten the mood with your favorite tunes! Some tubs come with built-in audio systems and Bluetooth connectivity. Otherwise, a portable speaker works just fine.
  • Aromatherapy: Adding just a few drops of essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus, or chamomile to your water is a great way to deepen your relaxation. Just make sure whatever you’re adding to your tub is spa-safe! Sundance SunScents™ are a great way to add aromatherapy to your tub and can be found at your local Sundance dealer.

Stay Consistent

Setting a regular schedule for hot tub usage is a great way to maximize your benefits. Consistency is key. Carve out a specific time every day or week for your spa sessions, and hold yourself accountable. Whether it’s 15 minutes in the morning before taking the kids to school, or an hour at night once they’re asleep, adding spa time into your routine will surely enhance the stress management benefits that come with it.

Incorporate Meditation Techniques

Meditation in your hot tub is a great way to further engage your mind and body, helping you make the most out of your time in your spa. Exercises like breath awareness, body scanning, and mantra meditation are easy, effective methods of enhancing your relaxation. Focusing on the sensations of the warm water, the sounds of the jets, and the rhythm of your breathing are also great ways to center your thoughts and promote mental clarity. To learn more about hot tub meditation.

Use Hydrotherapy Features

Most hot tubs come equipped with a variety of jets and hydrotherapy features that target specific muscle groups. Experiment with different jet configurations and seating positions to discover what feels best for your body and its pain points. Parents can often hold tension and stress within their back, neck, or shoulders, but fortunately, most hydrotherapy features excel at targeting these areas. Don’t be afraid to change up your routine if you’re not getting the relief you need.

stress management, family hot tub

Invite Friends and Family

Soaking solo can be great for individual stress relief, but your hot tub is also a great place to bond and grow relationships. Social interaction is another ideal way to relieve stress, and what better place to socialize than your hot tub, where everyone is already feeling at ease? Chatting, laughing, and reconnecting can all be beneficial in enhancing your relaxation and maximizing stress relief.

Prioritize Maintenance

While this one might not feel as directly related to immediate stress relief, proper maintenance is essential in preventing further stress in the future. In the past, balancing hot tub chemicals and conducting spa maintenance were known as daunting tasks, requiring many steps, a lot of test strips, and constant monitoring of your tub. This caused many to neglect maintenance, creating unhygienic water, damaging essential parts, and shortening spa lifespans. Luckily, today there are a variety of smartphone apps and other digitalized maintenance platforms that have significantly simplified spa maintenance and water upkeep. Systems like Sundance Spa Sense™ have perfected the process, providing automatic chemistry testing, personalized reporting, and more to keep hot tub ownership as stress-free as possible.

Leave the Screens Behind

Although it may be tempting to bring your phone or tablet with you into your hot tub area, try to leave them behind while you’re relaxing. The constant stream of notifications can often be a further source of stress and bringing it along with you to the hot tub can take away from your relaxation. Try disconnecting from the outside world while soaking in your spa, focusing on yourself, indulging in the present moment, and clearing your mind of any distractions.

Stay Hydrated!

Make sure you’re drinking water during your hot tub sessions, especially if they’re longer than 15 minutes at a time. Exposing your body to heat for extensive periods will cause you to sweat and dehydrate your body. Always monitor how you feel while indulging in your spa, and continue to hydrate as needed. If you start to feel lightheaded or dizzy, it’s time to take a break and drink some more water. Staying hydrated will also help your body flush out toxins and support your overall relaxation, meaning you’re actually maximizing your benefits by drinking water.

Long-Term Benefits for Parents

Soaking it up in the tub doesn’t just provide immediate relief – its long-term benefits are also highly beneficial for your overall well-being:

  • Stronger Relationships: Sharing time in the spa with family and friends will only cause your relationships to flourish, helping strengthen your family bonds and improve communication.
  • Better Physical Health: Improved circulation and less muscle tension will cause less stress-related pain and injuries.
  • Improved Sleep Habits: Consistent time in the hot tub can lead to better, more restorative sleep, which is crucial for parents.
  • Stronger Mental Resilience: Practicing regular, consistent relaxation will improve your overall mood and help you handle future stressors with ease. 

Whether you’re a new parent or have several kids under your belt, spending time in your hot tub is sure to benefit both your mind and body. Parenting will always come with its fair share of challenges, but adding spa sessions into your routine can significantly enhance your stress management and help clear your mind. We hope these tips have inspired you to spend more time in your tub and further harness the therapeutic power of your spa.

To learn more about using your hot tub for stress management, and the Sundance Spas brand, visit us online.