I find a lot of activities to be relaxing – taking a walk, reading a book, sitting in the backyard, the usual stuff. However, when I’m very stressed out, those activities rarely do the trick. I’ve found floating to be the solution for severe stress. In my research, I learned that your brain releases endorphins when you float.

In my case and the case of many others I’ve interviewed, you start to experience this brain dump of feel-good chemicals about 30-40 minutes into a float session. On many occasions, I’ve emerged from a floatation tank feeling positively euphoric. Floating has been shown to eliminate cortisol in the blood – you become stress-free. What’s so impressive is how quickly this happens. I’ve seen many people come in looking very anxious and ill at ease, but after a 1-hour float session, they’re visibly relaxed, smiling and casual. I found this great little cartoon that sums it up nicely: