Float therapy and burnout recovery

When I reached my burnout breakdown moment, I had to listen to my body. It was worn out, lacking nourishment, and I had little left to give. A friend who was looking after me suggested a float spa, which I’d never tried before. But, willing to try something that might give me a respite from the mix of shame, relief, exhaustion and numbness, I said yes.

Before sharing my experience, it’s important to understand how burnout can impact our bodies as well as our state of mind.

Burnout and your nervous system

Burnout can affect how safe and settled we feel in ourselves. Our autonomic nervous system is involved in our responses to the world around us. It helps keep our bodies functioning and can play a role in how we react to stress.

People experiencing burnout may spend a lot of time in a heightened stress response, seeing the world as full of threats and stressors. This on-edge normality can create unreleased tension in the body and give rise to difficult emotions which can feel overwhelming and anxiety-inducing.

When we are stuck in fight or flight, we may also be in performance mode. It’s what keeps us powering on, but over time this can take a toll on the body and mind.

People burning out may also find themselves moving between feeling highly activated and feeling shut down, disconnected or numb. This can be a self-preservation response, where we are trying to save our energy and protect ourselves.

Finding ways to get back to a state of safety often means bringing calm to our nervous system and giving it cues of safety. This might be through something as simple as hearing a soft, caring voice, practising a gentle form of yoga, physical contact with those we love, or taking a walk in a place that relaxes us.

These are small things, but they can all help to support a steadier state of being, and should not be underestimated in their power to help us feel better in ourselves.

But there are times when you want something that feels more supportive, and that’s where my float experience came in.

The float experience

Floatation tanks were originally developed to help researchers study the effects of sensory deprivation. Over time, flotation therapy became available commercially, and it is now often offered as a relaxation experience.

Modern float pods can offer a calming environment, with soft-close lids that shut the world out, magnesium-rich water, lighting to fit your mood and soft music easing you in and out of the session. These days, people may try floating for relaxation, recovery or time away from everyday stimulation.

“We all need somewhere to feel safe.”

Once I got my head around how the float worked, I was left alone to get into the tank. Essentially, it’s a big white pod, filled with water, in its own private room. Once inside, with the lid closed, I opted for the lights off, and I slowly adjusted to the experience of floating in the pod.

The overwhelming sense I had was of peace. At the time, I couldn’t explain it, but I just felt so safe and held, like being enveloped in a big nourishing hug, with nothing at all expected of me. It felt like the most wonderful place, with the feeling of weightlessness as the best company I could have had. There was absolutely nothing to do, and that felt freeing.

The silence had a quality I hadn’t experienced for ages. I could hear my thoughts and then actually hear them quietening down as my body relaxed. With this strange, unfamiliar freedom from my thoughts, I could hear my own body. At the time, it gave me immense relief from all the things that had been thrown up in the air by having to tell work I couldn’t come back.

It was as though the negative emotions faded and I could find some new perspective from this meditative place of safety and calm.

I had a few more floats during that period, and it hugely supported my return to myself. Recently, I had my first float in a while in Ibiza, and I was reminded of the power this experience can have for some people during periods of stress and burnout.

Why floating may help

For some people, floating can feel deeply calming. The quiet, the darkness, the warmth, and the feeling of weightlessness can all create conditions that support relaxation.

Emotionally, the sensation of weightlessness may make it easier to enter a meditative state, without feeling as though you have to “try” to meditate. Instead, the body is supported, stimulation is reduced, and there is space simply to be.

The role of magnesium-rich water

Float tanks usually contain magnesium-rich water, which helps the body float. Many people find the warmth and weightlessness soothing for tired muscles and a busy mind.

Nourish your body

When our bodies experience constant stress and distress, finding ways to nourish them is vital for our well-being. Floating is one way that may bring relief and create much-needed space to feel good in yourself, get perspective and reconnect with a sense that things can feel OK again.

If you are dealing with chronic stress or burnout, supporting yourself with longer-term strategies is also key. I found my way with a combination of body-related work to help get me back to a place of balance, and coaching work to support me as I stepped into a life with less stress and more strategies to better manage my desire to give and achieve more.