Early this morning (on the day I composed this page), a rat snuck into our house.  Barefoot and in my bathrobe, I managed to corner it in the washroom, and with the help of our reluctant dog, we took care of the problem.  I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say that it didn’t end well for the rat, and it was gross.  My wife and I felt a little shaken by the experience, so I suggested that we sit in the hot tub to calm our jangled nerves.   As we relaxed in the spa, our adrenaline settled to the point that we were able to laugh about the incident, and it helped us to move on with the day. 

Military specialist Dr. Mary Wykle is a huge advocate for hydrotherapy when it comes to treating PTSD and brain injuries that cause anxiety and mood swings.  But you don’t have to have all-out PTSD or a brain injury to reap the same calming benefits. 

When you’re angry, anxious or stressed, a hot tub will slow your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, relax your tense muscles and diminish the cortisol flowing through your veins.  This is good for you physically, emotionally and mentally, and those in your life might also appreciate a calmer version of you. 

Let a hot tub calm you down in a way that nobody else could do by telling you to do so (an editor advised against using this complicated sentence, but I like it, so I kept it).