Ok so we know that me-time should be all about relaxing and ‘doing nothing’, but that is really, really hard.
As women we are born multi-taskers, and I think it’s our natural inclination to use our soak time to our advantage, to nourish our bodies and souls at the same time! I’ve outlined my top 5 tasks (plus a few extras) that can maximise your me-time in the tub. You can combine a few, or even all of these!
Bathtub cinema
Put your laptop on a chair next to the tub (keep a small towel close by to wipe your hands), and voila – you now have your own float-in cinema! Perfect for those who don’t have time to catch up on ALL the seasons of everything that is piling up in ‘My List’. My current guilty pleasure is ‘Master of None’ and ‘The Get Down’.
Timing is everything
Who loves face masks!? We do! I absolutely love trying out different face masks. Clay, moisturising, sheet – I don’t carry prejudice when it comes to skincare, I’ll give everything a go once. The best part is that the timing for leaving on a face mask is usually around 20-30 minutes, the same time we recommend to soak for. Can it get any easier? *Mind Blown*
(Organised) daydreaming
You know when you lie down to go to sleep and all of a sudden one million thoughts and ideas start to race through your mind? It’s like our bodies and minds start to relax and then we can’t switch off, but we feel bad for turning on the light to write them down, because we’re supposed to be sleeping right? We’ll remember them all in the morning… not. I find that this same feeling often happens to me while I’m having a bath, because the warm water is relaxing, and we go to that same sleepy state. The answer – keep a notepad and pen next to the tub for all your amazing ideas! Give yourself time to relax first (don’t force the creativity) and just let your mind daydream.
Technology at its best
I’m not a huge fan of reading magazines or books in the bath. It sounds ideal, but in reality the pages get wet, and you have to hold your arms out of the water and then they get tired. My solution to this is audiobooks and podcasts! I love true crime podcasts like Casefile, and business podcasts like Foundr and Girlboss.
Water, water, water
Do you struggle to drink enough water in the day? I do. And I prefer sparkling water from my Sodastream instead of plain water. I sometimes come home and realise I haven’t drunk any water since lunch, and I’m so parched! A soak is the perfect time to focus on rehydrating, because firstly you’re in one place for 20 minutes so you can focus on drinking, and secondly you will get warm (and thirsty) in the bath. Bring in a 1L bottle, or a jug of iced herbal tea, and finish it completely. By the time you get out you will have nice and hydrated on the inside and out!
Get soaking
Other random tasks to occupy your time in the tub: shave your legs (tip: rub moisturiser on first, not soap), exfoliate your feet (and whole body if you so desire), practice your singing voice, or your Spanish/French/Mandarin etc, simply lie there and do nothing (hard isn’t it?) to practice mindfulness, hydrate your body after you finish your soak (with a shea butter based moisturizer in Winter or a Hydrating Skin Tonic in Summer).
