When I mentioned to a friend that my baseline neurosis had evolved from daily stress into anxiety, her response was, "Go for a float!"
A float?
Yes — spend an hour in a dark, soundproof room floating in a salted, body-temperature warm pool. "You just lie there and meditate," my friend told me.
As a doctor wary of overprescribing medications, I was intrigued by the idea that floating could combat stress and anxiety. So, I looked to see if there was any science to back up this claim. I visited the lab of neuropsychologist Justin Feinstein at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research, who is investigating float therapy as a nonpharmacological treatment for people with conditions like anxiety and depression.
Feinstein asked if I wanted to try it. So, after a quick shower, I jumped right in. It took a while to let my thoughts quiet down, but eventually I was so relaxed I fell asleep — while floating!
Though the treatment sounds promising, it's important to remember that this research is preliminary. While floating isn't a proven therapy, there's little harm in trying to float some of that stress away.