4 Ways to Practice Self-Care with Sauna House at Home

In the last few years, self-care seems to have taken off as a hot topic, especially with the pandemic. 

Has it swirled around in conversations with your friends? Seen it mentioned in a news headline?

If you think you’ve been hearing it more frequently than before, you’re right. Even the internet can attest to it. According to Google Trends, the number of searches for “self-care” has more than doubled since 2015. And although it’s not a new phenomenon, the pandemic, job losses, and other life stressors, have all made personal time a routine essential. 

But what exactly is self-care and why is it so important?

In this blog, we break down everything you need to know about self-care, and we use our new product line to provide examples of how to boost your personal routine. Of course, feel free to use whatever products you love or have available.

What is Self-Care and Why is It Crucial for Your Health?

Before we get started, we want to make one thing clear. There’s often a misconception that self-care goes hand-in-hand with being self-indulgent or selfish, and that couldn't be more untrue. 

Simply put, self-care means taking care of yourself — mentally and physically — so you can feel healthy and well, succeed at your job, take care of the ones you love most, and be able to accomplish all of the million plus one things you need to in your daily life. If you want the textbook definition, The World Health Organization defines self-care as, “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.”

To be your best self, care for those you love, and maintain your overall health, practicing self-care is a must and should have a place in your daily life.  

Forms of Self-Care

In total, there are six types of self-care — emotional, practical, physical, mental, social, and spiritual. And while all types of self-care are equally important, we want to focus more deeply on mental and physical self-care. 

Mental Self-Care

As we all know, mental health plays a key role in quality of life and well-being.

In the early months of 2020, depression among American adults in the United States tripled, jumping from 8.5 percent pre-pandemic to a staggering 27.8 percent. New research from Boston University School of Public Health indicates that the rate of depression is still on the rise in 2021, with the rate rising to 32.8 percent, roughly affecting one in every three American adults.

Today — maybe more than ever — it's becoming blatantly clear that we could all use more time nurturing our mental health, and one way is to practice self-care — as it is proven to reduce daily stressors. 

Mental self-care includes a variety of different practices. Some of our favorites include taking a walk in nature, flowing through a yoga class, and spending time in the sauna. Each one offers a chance to work on mindfulness — known to strengthen mental well-being. Use any of these activities as an opportunity to work on intention setting or connecting with your body by settling into stillness, closing your eyes, and taking some deep breaths.

Physical Self-Care

Busy schedules have a way of getting the best of us at times. Some days, we might not even realize we’re burning the candle at both ends, which is why it’s important to consciously work on physical self-care — to keep well-being top of mind.

Physical self-care involves activities you can do to maintain your physical health like getting adequate sleep, eating nutritious foods, getting a massage, or maybe even just taking a relaxing bath at home. Whatever form of self-care you choose to practice, your body will thank you for giving it some extra love and care. 

Sauna House Self-Care Tips

Now that you know a little more about the importance of self-care, here are some ways to practice self-care — using a few of our products as examples — to boost your mental and physical health right at home. 

Add Candles to Your Mindfulness Practice

The warmth and soothing scent of candles easily sets the mood for relaxation.

The calming effect of candles is based on how the brain processes smells. The smell of scented candles stimulates our limbic system, the part of the brain that’s responsible for our emotions and gives us a feeling of calmness and happiness. By choosing a scent that you find relaxing or calming, you can enhance your self-care experience.

Our Earth, Smoke, and Cloud 9 candles are all uniquely formulated with different spices and natural scents to help you wind down and settle into stillness. They’re a great tool to complement bath time or your at-home mindfulness practice. 

Take a Bath with Nourishing Salts

Nothing heals the body and eases stress quite like a warm bath. 

When you feel tense and then get into a warm bath, the hot water increases the body’s temperature and causes muscles to relax. Relaxing your muscles can help soothe you physically and mentally, allowing you to enter a more meditative state.

For added benefits, use your favorite bath salt or use our Rest Easy Mineral Soak or Gentle Mineral Soak which boosts bath time to help heal the body. 

Our bath blends are rich in magnesium to soothe muscle soreness, decrease inflammation, and assist your body in releasing tension and stress. The soothing scents of Rest Easy Mineral Soak helps promote relaxation and alleviate anxiety — a great addition to your self-care routine. 

If you’re sensitive to scents, we recommend the Gentle Mineral Soak for an unscented wellness treat.  

Soothe Your Body from the Outside In

If you’re not gung-ho on bath salts, don’t fret! We have another self-care alternative for you — body oil.

Body oils are made to help soothe and relax you, body and mind. They’re usually formulated to boost certain aspects of your mood. For example, a body oil that contains lavender will make you feel relaxed, whereas a body oil with rosemary will make you feel more alert.

Our Ritual Blend Body Oil is great for bathtime or before bed to help nourish your body from the outside in. This handcrafted oil is rich in Vitamin E, Omega-3, and antioxidants to protect, soothe, and repair your skin. The blend of natural ingredients is gentle on your skin, reduces inflammation, and preserves your skin’s natural moisture. 

Formulated to calm the mind and body, this oil blend helps you look and feel your best from head to toe.  

Ready to Boost Your Self-Care Practices?

Come see us at Sauna House or explore our online shop to bring some of these self-care goodies home with you. We’d love to know how they make a difference in your wellness routine!