Ways to relax: Baths

I have recently been getting into baths (get it!). I have previously tended to view baths as kind of gross – the line ‘stewing in your own filth’ unhelpfully comes to mind when people tell me they like baths.

But in recent days, as we have experienced a cold snap, I have found that nothing gives me that intense feeling of warmth and lets me stay warm for longer, than a hot bath.

Getting a bath just right is a delicate process. I am reminded of the episodes of Friends titled ‘The One Where Chandler Takes a Bath’ – Monica introduces Chandler to the wonder of baths, but without her supervision, he can’t capture the same relaxing magic. The water is ‘tepid’, and candles smell funny and the experience is not at all pleasant.

I find an important aspect of running a bath is not succumbing to the instinct to make the water a comfortable temperature when you first get in. It needs to be just below scalding, otherwise as the water cools, you’ll find yourself starting to freeze and the experience will become very unpleasant. So we want the water at the hottest possible temperature you can handle. Daring, I know.

I like to have a bath after dinner, just before bed. I tend to read a journal article or two for my PhD in the bath, making notes as I go. This might not seem relaxing to some, but it works for me! If you are lucky enough to have a bath and have the time for yourself to enjoy it, give it a go!