How Floating Can Help Stop Depression

When I moved to Halifax last year to open my counselling practice and found out there was a Halifax Floatation Centre I got REALLY excited! Granted, I am a really big fan of Stranger Things (where a salt water bath was used to save the day). BUT seriously… I had heard of the awesome benefits of floating! Always looking for other resources for my counselling clients to add to their wellness plan, I was excited to learn about and try floating. So this week I met up with Lindsay, the owner of The Floatation Centre to talk about how floating can help depressed teens (bonus: got to experience floating for the first time!!!).

What is Floating?

Floating is when you lie in highly concentrated Epson salt bath in a dark container for 75 minutes.

What are the benefits of floating?

Floating helps you to disconnect from the world and reconnect with your self. For teens, it gives them time alone where there is no technology, family, and friends. Floating offers a space where teens can relax, de-stress, and unwind (it can be a great tool during exams)! For some depressed teens, it is a great opportunity to meditate or practice mindfulness activities but just showing up and lying in the salt water will have benefits.

“When you float there are no sights, sounds, or smells, and the temperature of the water is the same as your relaxed skin surface. But your brain activity doesn’t slow down at all… it actually just switches from a constant state of stimuli (90% of your brain’s activity is stimulus base) to a meditative state. In this state of relaxation your cortisol levels (stress hormone) and your blood pressure all go down BUT then your endorphins and happy neurotransmitters go up. Plus when the Epson salt dissolves in the water, magnesium sulfate (which can help decrease depression) gets absorbed through your skin.”

Lindsay showing me the float room!

My First Float Experience!

I gotta say I was pretty scared! Lying in water in a dark container… eeekkk!!! But as I walked into the spa like room and stepped into the water it felt more like a warm hug. It also helped that I knew I could open the door at any time. Leaving The Flotation Centre I felt relaxed, de-stressed, and appreciated the sites, sounds, and scents of Halifax as I walked back to the office. Floating helped me to pause, reconnect with my self, and reset back to a chill state. Definitely worth it!