When I’m not helping guests at the float centre, I’m working in a professional office setting Monday to Friday. This includes many hours of sitting – at my desk, in meeting rooms, in the cafeteria – and just as many hours staring at multiple computer screens.
Constant demand for quick solutions with high quality results can cause some very stressful times. I’ve been known to get so focused on a task that I don’t even realize I’ve been sitting still for multiple hours. I’ll bet you can guess how my mind and body feel after a day (or multiple days) like that!
There are many ways in which floating has helped me overcome some of the pitfalls of office life, but here are my top three:
Relieve Stress
When working in an office, you have to deal with a lot of the s-word. No, not that s-word. I’m talking about STRESS.
From tight deadlines and unclear requests, to working in a team environment, stress is everywhere. Stress can affect us all in different physical and mental ways, including headaches, sleep problems, anxiety, or irritability.
Personally, I’ve found relaxation techniques like breathing exercises and meditation to help me during times of high stress. The quiet stillness of the float tank provides me with the optimum space to practice these techniques. And floating is just that – a practice. I’ve had good floats, and I’ve had not so good floats.
But when I’m focused on practicing my relaxation techniques, they seem to be even more effective when there is no environmental interference…no light…no sound…just me and my breath and my mind floating in warm salty water.
Ease neck and back tension
I’ll be the first to tell you, my posture is far from perfect. I’ve spent many hours over the last 20 years hunched over a keyboard or a smartphone (not just for work, but for fun too). That hunched over posture has led to many tense muscles and frequent neck and back pain.
While laying inside the float tank, I like to float with my arms up over my head. I find that it really opens up my chest and allows those overused neck and back muscles to go back to their natural positions. I also like to do some light stretching while I’m in the tank, to encourage my muscles to relax.
REBOOT!
You know when your computer isn’t working right. It’s slow and unresponsive and just not doing what it should be doing. The first thing any support desk will ask is if you rebooted it because the majority of the time that will fix the issue.
Have you ever considered that your mind and body might also benefit from a ‘reboot’? The very nature of the float environment eliminates all external stimuli from affecting your body.
My first time in a float tank was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It was quiet and dark. The temperature was warm and stayed consistent. It was as if gravity didn’t even exist. For me, those first 90-minutes were a life changer. They were the equivalent of an entire reboot for my mind and body.
As I’ve built my float practice, I’ve noticed that ‘rebooting’ is now just part of my wellness routine. I can feel when I’m getting slow and unresponsive. I’ll go for a float and come out refreshed and energized.
As far as careers go, I feel as though I’ve been fairly successful in my office life (knock on wood!). I enjoy the fact that my job is challenging and exciting and always changing. I get to work with amazing people and learn new skills and continue to improve myself in many ways. But by adding floatation therapy to my wellness routine, I’ve been able to help manage some of the physical and mental realities that come along with it.
Rebecca Ambrose
Full-time business analyst, a part-time float guide, and an all-the-time fibro warrior.
Her hobbies include talking about floating, reading about floating, watching videos about floating, and (of course) floating. She also enjoys crocheting, finding creative ways to keep her cats out of her yarn stash, running muddy obstacle courses, and spending way too many hours playing video games.