Can Washing Improve Your Mood?
My girlfriend Karen gave me this article out of the 2012 January/February issue of Health magazine. She thought it was interesting and wanted me to read it. The article quotes Spike W.S. Lee, a doctoral student at the university of Michigan. According to a study he did for the department of psychology, Mr. Lee claims “When people wash their hands-or even take a shower-they feel they’re washing away their concerns about a given situation”. Can something as simple as washing improve your mood?
According to Pastor Paul Bains, founder of project WeHOPE, “When you can clean someone up, they feel better about themselves, their self-esteem is raised, they know people aren’t looking down on them because they smell or look dirty.” Another organization, Lava Mae, was founded on the belief that all people deserve to be treated with dignity. For unhoused individuals, having access to a hot shower is the first step in reigniting that feeling. They believe a shower can contribute to improving health & well-being.
Can washing improve your mood? I know my state of mind improves after taking a bath. I feel calmer and very relaxed. After a shower I usually feel energized. But can washing my hands make me forget my worries? I don’t worry about spreading germs once I’ve washed my hands. I spent many days working in hospitals and medical labs where you have good reasons to wash your hands often. What do you think? The next time I wash my hands, I going to imagine washing all my troubles down the drain. Sort of a meditative hand wash. And I will be sure to wash with a handcrafted soap so I don’t have to worry about getting dry, chapped hands! What soap is your favorite to wash away your worries with?
Yours in Gratitude,
Angela
I like the idea of washing away worries and I love a good handmade soap.
Yes! I remember there is a song in the musical “South Pacific” called “I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair” or something like that. So let’s wash out worries right down the drain! 🙂
When I feel dirty, I am preoccupied with it and can’t focus on anything else, so that’s the worry that’s probably washed away when I shower or wash my hands! But maybe I should give meditative handwashing a try 🙂
It’s a moment to stop rushing and take a deep breath. I’ve been trying it out this week, and I have to say, I like it.
When I’m stressed I take meditative showers, and imagine all my cares going down the drain. It really does help.
I like the way you think Donna. 🙂