As the world is under the grip of a growing pandemic caused by Coronavirus, people are getting stressed from daily news of rising cases and increasing economic instability in different countries. Maintaining a balanced mind and a clean healthy body is essential at this time and a good hot spring bath can help. 

It all started from a viral flu that is claimed to have originated from a seafood market in Wuhan, China. From one person infected, the spread of the flu became very rapid, infecting more people than expected in a span of days. This flu is the deadly Coronavirus or COVID-19 and it has been on the global radar ever since the first outbreak in Wuhan last December 2019. With all countries affected and all age groups being infected, people more than ever are getting physically and emotionally stressed as everyone gets confined in their homes for a long period of time.

There are many ways to destress and keep yourself free from anxiety when you are confined at home. Reading , cooking, cleaning, doing yoga are some of the activities that are being practiced by many people at home and a hot spring bath can be another helpful activity that you can do to relax, destress and maintain a healthy body with renewed energy. 

Read on to learn how to manage coronavirus anxiety and how a hot spring bath can be one of the many effective ways to help you relax, have a healthy body, and maintain proper hygiene.

What we know about Coronavirus

Let’s start with the facts. The main organizations that give reliable information and updates about Coronavirus are the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Both groups are always updating their websites and pushing information on different communication channels to spread the word globally and inform everyone on how this flu spreads, what are the symptoms, and ways to prevent it.

How does it spread? 

• The virus is spread from person-to-person within close contact to each other. When an infected person sneezes or coughs, the respiratory droplets produced can be passed to another person within 6 feet. These droplets can end up in the mouth or noses of people who are near and they can be inhaled into the lungs.
• People who have severe symptoms caused by the virus are thought to be the most contagious. The CDC informs all that some spread can be possible before someone shows symptoms (cough, fever, trouble breathing,)
• It is also possible that the virus can be caught by touching a surface or an object that has the virus on it, and then touching own nose, mouth or eyes. 
• The way that Covid-19 seems to spread is easy compared to other highly contagious viruses like measles. It can spread sustainably in the community which is called “community spread”, meaning people have been infected with the virus in an area which includes some who are not sure when and how they got infected.

What are the symptoms?

According to the WHO, people infected with COVID-19 will have mild to moderate respiratory illness and can recover without having special treatment. People from 60 years old and above or those with underlying medical problems and diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer can get seriously ill. 

Here are the symptoms:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Dry Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Body aches and pains
• Sore throat
• Some people report of diarrhea, dizziness or a runny nose

It is recommended for people who experience these symptoms to self-isolate at home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible. Calling a medical provider or a COVID-19 information line for advice is also recommended when symptoms persist or worsens to get you proper assistance with testing and an emergency referral to a medical doctor.

 

What are the ways to prevent it?

Here are the different recommendations from the WHO to prevent you from getting COVID-19:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, or clean with an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Practice social distancing and maintain at least 1 meter of distance from other people.
• Do not touch your face when you have not washed your hands.
• When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth always.
• Stay at home and rest.
• Refrain from smoking.

Ways to Handle Coronavirus Anxiety

With all this information about how COVID-19 can easily spread and knowing how we can get it can create a lot of anxiety and stress. Many people have also been confined at home after a lot of schools, companies and offices have closed and working at home can contribute to physical stress and symptoms that include headaches, neck and back tension due to improper work position, lower appetite, sleep problems, lower energy and fatigue.

Harvard Medical School has suggested that yoga, meditation and controlled breathing are one of the tried and tested methods in relaxing. Staying in contact online with family and friends is also a good use of your time while you are confined to take off your worries. Familiar activities like cooking, reading and watching movies are also helpful in managing stress as well as other hobbies that you want to pursue that can be done at home. 

Being busy at home with activities is good, and in between all the activities that you do while being confined, take time to take care of yourself and enjoy a long hot spring bath to relax your mind and body.

A Hot Spring Bath Can Help Relax Your Mind and Clean Your Body  

Bathing is one of the easy and quick ways to relax and get rid of external stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19 and maintain good proper hygiene. A lot of public hot spring baths, saunas, spas and resorts with thermal springs are now closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but it can still be possible for you to have your own spa or hot spring bath in the confines of your home. The Onsen Secret Japanese Hot Spring Mineral Bath is one of the few holistic offerings among many other therapeutic products that is available online now for you to try. It can be safely delivered to your home for you to enjoy your own hot spring bath during this stressful time..

It takes 15-minutes for the Onsen Secret Japanese Hot Spring Mineral Bath to do wonders for your body and well-being. You can create your own personal healing space in your bathroom and also combine different healing elements that can contribute to a calm environment, like scented candles,incenses, and relaxing music as you sprinkle the Japanese Hot Spring Mineral Bath in your bathtub and have the hot water absorb the healing minerals and botanical ingredients that it is made of. These minerals come from an actual hot spring in Japan. You get the therapeutic benefits instantly after experiencing a hot spring bath as your mind becomes calm, your body gets relaxed and your skin gets hydrated and clean.

A hot spring bath is also called balneotherapy or the practice of bathing in mineral rich thermal waters. In our previous blog article, we shared a lot of information on balneotherapy and below, we explain to you the main benefits that you can get from a hot spring bath.

The Benefits of a Hot Spring Bath

Relaxation for insomniacs.

Taking a hot spring bath can relieve stress and make your mind calm, making you sleep better at night. If daily news about COVID-19 has been keeping you up or you are in a situation where a loved one is diagnosed with the virus and you find it hard to sleep, a hot spring bath can help you get a good rest and get more energy as you wake up the next day to be able to manage what you need to do.

Circulation comfort for diabetics.

 

There are extensive studies and research that has been done that proved that a hot spring bath or a balneotherapy session can aid people with diabetes and can even prevent the disease from developing. If you are a diabetic, a hot spring bath can give circulation comfort and ease your pain. People with diabetes should take necessary precautions to avoid getting COVID-19 as the WHO has advised that people with diabetes and other underlying medical issues have a higher chance of getting seriously ill and develop more complicated symptoms if they get COVID-19.

Healthy , clean and hydrated skin.

Oxidative stress and overall health and antioxidant capability is boosted when you absorb minerals from a hot spring bath to your skin. Minerals found in hot springs can smooth and soften dry and rough skin and studies have shown that skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis, which are also created by stress, are eliminated with a balneotherapy or hot spring bath. 

Replenishment of the body.

It is essential that we give more value to our health and boost our immune system nowadays to prevent us from getting COVID-19 and other contagious flus. A hot spring bath possesses minerals that replenishes the body as it eliminates harmful toxins. Taking a hot spring bath can be good to renew your body’s energy levels which will make you perform better as you work at home or deal with your family and do activities while confined at home.

Muscle relaxation and improved blood flow.

Working at home can cause a lot of muscle tension on your back and neck, especially if you do not have the right working posture or space. A hot spring bath can relieve your muscles , relax your blood vessels and improve blood flow. That is why many athletes or people doing high intensive sports and activities enjoy a hot sauna, spa or hot spring bath after workouts  to relieve stress from their muscles. Studies have also proven this and as you work at home during this period and get muscle stress on your neck and back, a hot spring bath can help relieve these tensions..

Cleaner, healthier and better hygiene with its antibacterial action.

Everyone has been washing their hands regularly and trying to maintain a clean environment to avoid getting COVID-19. It is important to not only have clean hands but to have a clean body and practice better hygiene. The minerals in a hot spring bath have antibacterial properties that eliminate bacteria that rests on your skin. Taking a bath daily or a hot spring bath at least twice a week can help eliminate bacteria, leaving you with a cleaner and healthier body that will prevent you from getting any sickness or flu.