Do you know that studies by the British Beauty Council state that mental illness is the most significant cause of disability in the United Kingdom? It alone contributes to 22.8% of the total disability burden of the UK. Furthermore, it states that 12.7% of the total day’s sickness is due to mental illness alone in the UK. The most shocking discovery is that even 43% of those who are on long-term health benefits have primarily mental health problems.
Researchers and psychiatrists state that only 28% of mental health problems can be managed through proper and conventional treatments. So what about the rest of the mental health problems? How can they be treated? The answer is “Wellness and Fitness.”
What are the Most Beneficial Spa Therapies?
Self-care may seem like a minor lifestyle change, but in reality, it is linked to mental health. Numerous scientific studies have shown the profound effect of spa therapies on reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Also, those suffering from health problems can reap countless benefits from spa therapies.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone started talking about taking care of themselves and how it can save us from chronic pain, anxiety attacks, and stress. After lots of research and studies, it’s been proven that spa therapies are one of the effective ways to address common mental health problems. Let’s look at the most popular spa therapies in the UK that help our mental health.
1. Massage
Massage is the most ancient technique, used for centuries to relax body muscles and release tension. Ayurvedic massage techniques are used to restore body balance and induce natural healing. Moreover, you will learn the benefits of massage therapy below in more detail.
2. Sauna
Saunas have been used as a holistic therapy for centuries, and now, they are a common trend in the United Kingdom. Various studies have proven that saunas are effective in curing depression and fatigue. In addition, they assist in relaxing our minds and improving our overall mental well-being.
3. Thermal Bathing
For more than millennia, people have believed in the healing properties of natural springs and seawater. Ancient Greeks developed this culture, which was later transferred to the Romans and the Ottomans. Since then, it has been associated with multiple mental health benefits and well-being.
The Science Behind the Spa Therapy
Imagine a long and exhausting day, and then you stop by a serene spa for massage therapy that relieves your muscle tension and fatigue. It calms your mind, reduces depression, and offers many other mental health benefits. This shows the effectiveness and power of spa therapy. The cause of its many mental health benefits lies in a number of biological mechanisms that contribute to our overall well-being. Which are:
1. Regulating Serotonin and Dopamine
The therapist’s soft touch calms the mind and manages the levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine in the body.
2. Improves Blood Flow
You must have heard about the multiple full body massage benefits. One of the main reasons behind them is improved blood circulation. Massage therapies dilate the blood vessels, which benefits oxygenated blood circulation.
3. Enhanced Circadian Rhythm
Some of the most popular spa therapies, specifically balneotherapy, regulate the human body’s internal clock, known as circadian rhythm. It plays a crucial part in regulating hormones, controlling sleep-wake cycles, and many other physiological mechanisms. In addition, the circadian clock reduces mood swings and depression linked to conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Furthermore, spa therapies stimulate many other biological changes, such as cellular synthesis, autoimmune reaction activation, and homocysteine decrease. However, we are not going to discuss physical health benefits in this blog besides, our main focus will be mental health benefits.
15 Crucial Mental Health Benefits of Regular Spa Therapies
Now, you must have some idea about all the changes that happen in our body in response to spa therapies. And how they all benefit the mental state and help with various mental illnesses. Now, let’s learn about the 15 pronounced mental health benefits of the spa on mental health.
1. It Improves Sleep Cycles
Getting quality sleep is very important for balancing life and staying mentally active. On the other hand, 7 out of 10 people are struggling with poor sleep. Adding spa therapies into life can really help combat this.
Our body requires serotonin to produce melatonin that improves cycles. The warm oil, soft touch of the massage therapist, and professionally done massage techniques lower the body’s core temperature and calm the mind. In addition to releasing muscle tension, massage reduces muscle aches and fatigue, which releases serotonin into the body.
Moreover, massage improves sleep cycles due to its positive impacts on the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), which in turn helps adult insomniacs get quality sleep.
2. Improves Cognitive Thinking
Spa therapies have been shown to improve cognitive function. The calming effects of spa treatments enhance mental clarity, improve focus, and thus improve cognitive performance.
Head massages with appropriate oils loosen muscle tension and dilate blood vessels, improving blood circulation to the head. This is also one of the main reasons for improving memory and cognitive thinking.
3. Stress Relief and Management
One of the most desired benefits of spa therapies is to get rid of tension and enjoy tranquillity. Soothing massage therapies release all physical and mental stress. Moreover, the serene ambience of the spa and its delightful natural aroma boost your mood quickly.
Spa therapies are proven to reduce stress hormone levels in the body by 50% and increase the production of dopamine. Both neurotransmitters play a crucial role in stabilising the mood and elevating stress. Spending a quality day at the spa more often and getting pampered will definitely help you overcome stress and combat depression.
4. Reduces Future Anxiety Attacks
AMTA claims that massage treatments like saunas, massages, and hot tubs significantly increase serotonin levels in the body. Serotonin is vital in regulating mood and emotions and reducing future anxiety attacks.
A number of researches have indicated that massage therapy helps alleviate anxiety associated with many diseases, including cancer, chronic pain, and psychiatric disorders. In addition, benefits of massage therapy include decreasing anxiety levels before and after the therapy. Hence, people who visit spas regularly suffer from less anxiety compared to those who do not.
5. Boosts Mood and Calmness
Imagine you are feeling stressed and unable to focus on your personal life, not to mention work. What would you admire at this point? A vocational trip or spa therapy, right? A peaceful experience like spa therapy can quickly fix our mood and depression and improve our mental health. Let us understand how spa therapies actually do this.
Massage Therapies Alleviates Stress
Touch therapies like massage are known to decrease cortisol levels in our bodies and increase dopamine levels. This instantly alleviates stress and makes us feel good. As spa therapy influences dopamine levels in the human body (pleasure and reward), its regulation through spa treatments contributes to improving mood and overall well-being
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is also very effective in lifting mood and alleviating stress. The pleasing aromas of essential oils activate the limbic system, which influences and controls our emotions. Also, it uplifts our mood, instantly reduces our stress, and makes us feel good overall.
6. Boosts Confidence and Self-esteem
Sometimes, to some extent, we don’t feel comfortable in our skin or attire and lose our self-confidence. Which further leads to lots of mental health problems, like social anxiety, depression, etc. Adding spa therapies into your routine not only improves your looks but also boosts your eternal confidence.
You start focusing on your looks, better fulfilling your body’s needs, nourishing your skin, and achieving a dreamy, radiant glow. Moreover, when you feel good, you stay positive and rethink about yourself. You reaffirm your commitment to do better, which stays with you for a longer period and helps you stay confident no matter what!
7. Promote Social Connection
When you are relaxed, you feel good; you like interacting with people! Adding spa visits to your routine improves your confidence in interacting with new people and offers multiple opportunities to socialise with others.
Opportunities to Interact with Others
Those individuals facing social anxiety should try group meditations and spa day therapies. They will provide them with a better way to connect. Furthermore, they will develop a sense of belonging and connection with others. That will help them combat social anxieties and perform better in society.
Group therapies and Couples Massage
Moreover, professional therapists say people who attend spa days together have healthier relationships than those who don’t! Some of the luxurious spas in Greenwich offer a bundle of opportunities to connect with your mains.
For example, there is the mother-daughter spa day, the couples spa day, and many more. Additionally, enjoying a couples massage or a wellness retreat with friends strengthens relationships and promotes a sense of belonging.
8. Relief from Headaches and Migraine
From the centuries spa therapies like massages have been known to relieve many physical and mental ailments. The most common ones are back pain, neck pain, and headaches.
Mental Benefits of Massage Therapies
Massage therapies relax body muscles and relieve muscle tension, which is the most significant cause of headaches. Hence, if you get headaches, getting a holistic massage on your back, neck, and head will instantly relieve it.
Meditation Yoga
A study by the National Library of Medicine in 2020 revealed the effects of medication and yoga on headaches and found that yoga, along with medical therapy, helps manage migraines better.
Hot Bath
Hot baths also help alleviate headaches and migraines. They have a significant positive effect on our bodies. They soothe our muscles, dilate our blood vessels, and increase blood flow. This process is called vasodilation, and it calms the mind and supplies all of the required nutrients to our brain.
These three spa therapies are spa enthusiasts’ most common and favourite for helping the body combat headaches and migraines.
9. Improves Focus and Concentration
As discussed, spa therapies are a great way to improve blood circulation, relax muscles, and soothe muscle aches. This phenomenon helps calm our minds and help us focus on our goals through concentration. Moreover, when cortisol levels drop, it improves our mood and makes us feel more energised and active than before.
Spa therapies improve mindfulness through different techniques, such as breathing and visualisation. This helps develop coping strategies for stress management and improves focus. Enhanced mental clarity allows one to face life challenges with clarity and determination.
10. Calm your Nerves
Calming your nerves in times of high tension is the biggest achievement of mental strength. That comes when your mind is relaxed and nourished enough to stay calm in situations we usually panic. Spa treatments like deep tissue massage therapies, along with adequate physical activities, can help you gain this mental strength.
Benefits Of Massage Therapy for Mental Health
A deep tissue massage awakens the parasympathetic nervous system PNS, which releases various feel-good neurotransmitters. It can also enlighten the mood, calm the mind, and help think clearly in panic situations.
Meditation Strengthens Your Mind
Meditation and mindfulness can also help calm down your nerves. Taking deep breaths and focusing on your breathing can help reduce stress and anxiety. Additionally, talking to a friend or mentor can help you gain clarity and perspective.
11. Enhance Body Resilience
Some spa therapies, like hydrotherapy, saunas, and cold plunges, build body resilience by challenging the body’s stress and response limits. Furthermore, they improve blood circulation and enhance the body’s and mind’s ability to adapt to stressful environments.
These spa therapies involve alternating the body’s exposure to cold and hot temperatures, which activates the body’s stress response mechanism. They not only train the body to strengthen its stress capacity but also how to respond effectively. Hence, this strengthens the body’s resilience and ability to adapt to different stress levels.
12. Reduced Risk of Psychotic Disorders
A recent study states that spa treatments can significantly reduce the symptoms linked to schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder.
Sauna Reduces Possibility Of Chronic Mental Conditions
In addition to many health advantages, the Pubmed study discovered a high correlation between sauna use and a lower occurrence of psychotic disorders. Scientists stated that
New results add to emerging evidence that frequent sauna therapy may lower the risk of several acute and chronic health conditions.
This is evidence that getting sauna therapy frequently can reduce the risk of various chronic health conditions.
Regular Massage Helps OCD Symptoms
Getting regular massage therapies will help you lower stress levels, improve mood, and create a sense of overall relaxation. This can help people with OCD symptoms better manage their anxiety and improve their overall quality of life.
It Reduces the Risk of Severe Mental Health Conditions
Spa therapies have been shown in a recent study to alleviate depression symptoms linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar illness, and schizophrenia.
13. Improves Emotional Wellbeing
Massage therapy benefits include reduced stress and balanced hormone production, all of which contribute to overall physical, mental, and spiritual health. The outcomes include glowing skin and a healthy physique.
Sometimes, the path to mental wellness requires emotional healing. Spa therapy provides a tranquil and nurturing environment for individuals to process emotions, detox, and start a journey of self-discovery and healing. Altogether, it greatly impacts our thought process and enlightens our thoughts immensely in a positive way.
14. Reconnect and Know Yourself Better
Since most spas don’t have screens, turning off your devices and focusing on yourself is very enlightening. Your mind is free to wander, and you have the space to concentrate on how you feel, what you want, and how you can obtain it. On the other hand, elements like aroma, water, and ambiance work their magic along with the therapist’s massage.
Increased Self Awareness
Spa therapies encourage self-reflection and lead to greater self-awareness and discoveries. You become more aware of body sensations and needs, which helps you understand your body signals and practise better self-care.
Reconnecting with Oneself
It provides a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with yourself in peace, improves self-worth, thinks about self-care, and fosters personal growth.
15. Improves Holistic Wellness
A range of spa treatments, practices, and experiences offer a holistic approach to well-being. By addressing the connection of mind, body, and spirit and nurturing all aspects of the self, it promotes balance, harmony, and overall well-being. That supports individuals in knowing themselves better and promoting overall self-awareness
Tips to Improve Your Mental Health Along Spa Therapy
Last but not least, taking a few moments every day out of your busy schedule to practise self-care will help you feel better mentally and physically. Self-care is essential for overall health and well-being. It is important to take the time to practise self-care in order to maintain a healthy body and mind. Here are some self-care tips that will help you to level up your lifestyle:
- Get Regular Exercise: Just 30 minutes of a daily walk, running, swimming, or any form of exercise will boost your mood and improve your health.
- Concentrate on your Diet: Try your best to eat healthy, regular meals and stay hydrated daily.
- Make Sleep a Priority: Nothing can really replace a good night’s sleep, so make it your priority.
- Try a Relaxing Activity: Lastly, make spa therapy part of your life. It will keep your body relaxed and your energy positive.
Bottom Line
Lastly, we want to conclude that taking out time for wellness and self-care is very important for mental health. Spa therapies like massage therapies provide a holistic approach which improves mood, sleep, focus, and self-esteem, and reduces stress and anxiety. These biological benefits highlight the significant impact of spa therapy on our physiological processes, including neurotransmitter regulation, immune function, and cognitive performance.
As the saying goes, “A healthy mind resides in a healthy body.” Prioritising self-care and getting spa therapies will enhance mental health and emotional well-being and improve overall quality of life. You will also be able to unlock inner peace, resilience, and eternal happiness.