To this date I have had more than 60+ floats behind me and float on a regular basis for over a year now. How floating benefited me not just physically but also mentally is huge.
But first of all let’s define what anxiety actually means?
Anxiety is a natural human response to stress or perceived danger. It’s a feeling of unease, worry, or apprehension that can be caused by anything from a big event or major change to something as simple as a work presentation or meeting new people. In fact, anxiety is part of the body’s natural ‘fight or flight’ response that helps us react quickly to potential threats.
It is important to note that feeling anxiety is not the same as having an anxiety disorder, which is a diagnosable mental health condition characterised by persistent and intense feelings of anxiety that are out of proportion to the situation or event that triggered them. Rather, anxiety is a common and natural emotion. When it becomes persistent or overwhelming and interferes with daily life, it can turn into a problematic condition that may be diagnosed as an anxiety disorder. *1
My very first float was unexpectedly emotional. Back then I booked it as a little treat for my partner and myself, not having heard much about floating other than you that you feel nice & relaxed afterwards. The first feeling of getting in is strange. You literally float and there is so much more space than I expected it to be. After a little bit of time getting used to my new environment my mind started to ponder and it stopped at my most painful thought back then. It was the loss of a dear family member some time ago. Now with nowhere to escape these feelings they were overflowing. I didn’t know I was holding on to that much at the time. The rest of the float was quiet. Beautifully quiet, peaceful. That was the beginning of my floating journey.
At no surprise really it turns out that I have more of a busy mind, there are always thoughts in there about various things. Sometimes more than I really need!
I would say for the first 6 months floating predominantly has helped me to work through my grief & anxiety. I now realise that the pandemic accelerated my anxiety I had probably on a more normal level. But within those chaotic years I found myself not being able to do daily tasks because my anxiety/mind stopped me. It was hard to grasp at first. I almost didn’t recognize myself. All I knew was I had to get out of it.
Fast forward with time & commitment to myself I was learning to lean into these feelings and see what is actually behind them. Back out on dry land it meant I could then work with these feelings & emotions to create more space within me, it wasn’t all covered up by pain anymore. How beautiful is that!
Because of floating, I developed more and more tools to support my mental health and now taking care of myself is set as a high priority. But nothing beats floating. The first few moments when you sink into the warm water and feel weightless, taking a deep breath in
and out. That is one of the most blissful feelings to me! It is just me in my safe place where I can find myself and the only time my mind slows down for a little while. In fact everything slows down. Afterwards when I come out I almost protect this little floating bubble. Let the world rush past you, what’s meant for you will come to you. But it’s these few moments I treasure. Inside the floating pod & afterwards. It helps me with physical injuries, grief, lowers my anxiety levels when going through stressful periods, puts irrational thoughts to bed and gives me clarity. It is now an ingrained part of my life and an unbelievable useful tool if you give yourself a chance to drop in and float.
For everyone that likes a good statistic all the above is also proved in studies and marked on paper:
