As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of workers that operated under remote working conditions increased. However, the fatigue caused by the pandemic led to high levels of stress among remote workers, 86% of whom report that they’re suffering from burnout, according to CNBC’s report on burnout. These levels are higher compared to the 69% reported in in-person employees.

To manage the stress of remote work, employees then need to find ways to ease their mental anxiety — below, we explain how float therapy can come to their aid.

Why are workers stressed?

Much of the stress can be attributed to increased working hours. The CNBC report also indicated that remote workers tend to clock in 2.5 more hours than they did before the pandemic. In an article on the 40-hour work week on SymptomFind, Dr. Huong Dinh explained that because people are afforded less time to take care of themselves, long working hours can worsen mental and physical health. When workers cut self-care from their daily routines, they put themselves at risk of serious health problems, such as decreased cognitive function and worsened sleep quality. Thus, to cope with the demands of the current employment landscape, remote workers need to find ways to take care of themselves.

How can workers benefit from float therapy?

Writer Bianca Salonga points out that float therapy cuts floaters off from sound and sight, so the mind tends to enter a deep, meditative state. In a sensory deprivation tank, there is nothing that indicates a sense of space or time. Thus, floaters can remain unaware of how much time has passed during their float stay and still awaken feeling fully restored. This makes it an ideal relaxation technique for remote workers, who have limited time for self-care.

Plus, since float therapy uses Epsom salt to make floaters buoyant, one can fully relax their muscles during therapy, easing muscle tension. The magnesium in Epsom salts can aid in the detoxification of harmful substances in the body. This, combined with sensory deprivation’s meditative effects, can reduce cortisol levels to provide relief for stress and mental anxiety. Some other health benefits of float therapy include improved sleep, migraine and tension headache relief, and lowered blood pressure.

Float therapy can even improve work performance, as highlighted in our ‘Floatation Therapy Benefits’ post. To recap, floating can promote creative thinking and problem-solving, which can help remote workers enhance the quality of their work output. And thanks to the absence of external stimuli, float therapy gives remote workers time to realign and focus on self-reflection.

Are there any risks?

Float therapy comes with very few risks. The buoyancy of the water and Epsom salt mixture makes it very difficult for floaters to roll over in the tank, significantly reducing the likelihood of drowning. You also don’t need to worry about infection, since floatation tank owners regularly clean their equipment according to legal standards. Float therapy is only unsafe if you have specific health conditions or injuries. It is not ideal to enter a float tank if you have diarrhea, claustrophobia, epilepsy, low blood pressure, kidney disease, or even open wounds.

The bottomline is that floatation therapy is a powerful relaxation tool for individuals with limited time, like remote workers. Aside from decreasing stress, it also comes with many health benefits, such as improved sleep, pain relief, and eased muscle tension.