Floatation tank as Self-care

I often recommend self-care as a way of looking after our mental health, and I try to practice what I preach. My go-to self-care routines include yoga and the gym.

Recently, I decided to try something new, by trying out a flotation tank. It turned out to be quite the experience! I’ve been exploring various methods to ease stress and enhance my wellbeing, dabbling in everything from sound bath healing to art, and meditation, alongside my regular yoga sessions. But the flotation tank? It was an entirely different beast and challenged me in ways I hadn't anticipated.

Last Friday, after a jam-packed day—an early gym session, running a workshop, and seeing clients—I was pretty wiped out. At lunchtime I asked my partner if he’d be interested in trying something new, to avoid just planking on the couch and binging TV like I wanted to do.

So we tried a floating tank.

Stepping into the flotation tank facility felt like entering a mini spa. Initially, I thought the toughest part would be to lie in the dark, inside a closed pod, just floating there. I’m not claustrophobic; in fact, I find smaller spaces quite comforting. Yet thats the feedback I've heard about the experience, so I was cautious.?

However, the real struggle was with my tech habits. I had to resist the urge to check my phone, ask Siri to send emails and texts or catch up on the latest episode of "Station 19" (especially since I'd watched "Grey's Anatomy" earlier that day). All I did was float… then got restless… floated some more… and when I first got out, it was only 7:39—yep, just nine minutes had passed!

Time dragged on, and only 20 minutes felt like forever. It was astonishing how difficult it was to embrace the silence—no books, music, conversation, or anything to entertain or distract me. Just me, floating in darkness and utter silence. It hit me hard how addicted I am to constant stimulation, and honestly, I was a bit disappointed in myself.

I gave it another shot, telling myself that there was nowhere else I needed to be. Then, out of nowhere, Judy Garland’s rendition of "There’s No Place Like Home" popped into my head—maybe because I watched "Wicked" last week. So, after humming that tune a few times, I tried to settle into the float once again.

I managed 45 minutes in total before calling it a day. My body felt great afterwards, and my mind was somewhat calmer. I was surprised by how challenging I found the experience and it’s made me keen to carve out more time to be present and mindful.

When I got home, I crashed for a whopping 11 hours. I was tired!

Now, I’d love to hear from you! What do you do for self-care? Have you ever tried a flotation tank?