When you hear the word 'self-care', one of the first images that will probably come to mind is a bubble bath. Bubble baths are often the image of blissful relaxation, an escape from the stress and noise of a long working week.
Many brands and companies have hyped up the bubble bath, selling us pine bath racks, with slots for our iPads and phones and bubbly, colourful, scented potions to drop in the water; all of these are marketed as things that will help us soak our worries away.
But how can we make the bubble bath (or a long hot shower) a more meaningful self-care experience?...
1. Make it a 'practice'...
Any self-care action is made more meaningful when it becomes part of our routine, be that daily, weekly or once a month. By making bath time a routine or habitual action you begin to create space in your time for yourself. One of the most rewarding parts of running a bath is that it requires time; you need to carve out space in your week for this action and that time can become a space for calm, reflection and rest.
2. Make it a 'safe' space...
Set boundaries around what bath time represents for you and communicate this to those you share your space and time with. If bath time is your time to be present with yourself, then it's okay to ask for this space to be respected by others - hang up a 'do not disturb' sign on the door if you need to. As you create more space around this practice, and protect that space from distractions and external emotions, it means you can find more stillness to really be present with yourself.
3. Make it sensory...
All those baths potions and products can bring meaning to our self-care practice by tapping into how they can make bath time a truly sensory experience; remember that this means connecting with what you really want rather than just buying something because it costs the most or has the best reviews. Think about all your senses when you prepare the space; what smells do you want to fill the room with? What type of lighting will best benefit how you feel right now? How hot will you run the water, what kind of product will you add and what properties will it provide your skin? Do you want to add music or would you prefer silence? Do you want to prepare a beverage to sip on while you soak? To answer each of these you first need to tap into how you feel now and consider how you would like to feel after and then respond appropriately. Do you want to feel relaxed or energised or refreshed? Each of these needs a different sensory experience and only you know what that is for you - and if you don't, you can begin to experiment and explore until you do.
4. Lean into your feelings...
if you have created this space to be a safe space for connecting with yourself, then don't be afraid to lean into any feelings that surface. If can be a space to cry, it can be a space to rest and breathe, it can be a space to plan and dream, it even can be a space to work through your worries. Allow yourself to be present with all your feelings and continuously assess what you can do next to change or make space for these feelings.
5. Allow for reflection...
bath time can be a perfect moment to pause and reflect; you can use the space you have created to be present with yourself and your thoughts, to reflect on how you are feeling emotionally and physically and maybe even begin to work out potential solutions to the challenges you are facing. If you find your bath times become reflective spaces, then keep a journal and pen on hand so that you can jot down your thoughts and begin to free up space in your mind too.
6. Remove distractions...
Self-care practices should be about responding to our physical and emotional needs and not those of others; it is time you are creating and dedicating to yourself and so make sure it is free of distractions. Leave your phone outside the bathroom, or even turn it off completely. If you are using a digital device to watch something or listen to music, make sure notifications are turned off so you don't fall into the trap of bringing the outside world into this space with you.
7. Use it as a response...
When you understand how this space and practice you have built really makes you feel, then you can also understand which moments and feelings it is the best response action for. If carving out that time for a bath helps you feel more calm and balanced, then use it to respond to moments of overwhelm and stress; if it helps you feel refreshed and energised then use it to respond to moments you feel burntout or drained. This is when the action can really become a meaningful self-care practice, because we are using it to directly respond to and support a wellbeing need.