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Can washing improve your mood?

Improve your mood

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

Filed Under: Soaps Tagged With: Hand washing, Lava Mae, Paul Bains, Soap, Spike W.S. Lee, WeHOPE

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Claire T Weinberg says

    February 24, 2020 at 3:13 pm

    I like the idea of washing away worries and I love a good handmade soap.

    Reply
    • Angela Carillo says

      February 24, 2020 at 4:06 pm

      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! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Cassie says

    February 26, 2020 at 9:27 am

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Angela Carillo says

      February 26, 2020 at 4:27 pm

      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.

      Reply
  3. Donna DeRosa says

    March 1, 2020 at 12:03 am

    When I’m stressed I take meditative showers, and imagine all my cares going down the drain. It really does help.

    Reply
    • Angela Carillo says

      March 2, 2020 at 2:04 am

      I like the way you think Donna. 🙂

      Reply

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