Aah!  Bliss!

There can be nothing nicer than slipping into a hot bubble bath at the end of a hectic day, feeling the silky warmth of the water lapping against your skin as your cares and worries start to drift away as you submerge yourself under the water.

Maybe you’ve lit some candles and poured yourself a glass of wine to enjoy whilst reading a book, listening to a podcast or music.

And as today is Bubble Bath Day, you have the perfect excuse to run yourself a bath and take some time out.

One of the modules in my Behind the Mask programme is called ‘Step Into Selfish’ and it’s the module that all of my clients, without exception struggle with the most.

As the name might suggest it’s about taking time out for themselves and doing things completely for them, no-one else.  When they struggle with that I often recommend scheduling in a long, relaxing bubble-bath once a week, just so they get used to having that time to themselves.

It’s always interesting to get their responses.  So many of them haven’t allowed themselves the luxury of having a long bath for a very long time and they often comment on how much they enjoyed it, how it allowed them to switch off for a while and have that breathing space to themselves.

I know how difficult it is to allow yourself that time.

In my previous relationships I was told I was selfish if I wanted a long, hot bubble bath.  When I met my partner 8-years ago, he was very happy for me to have a long bath, although he couldn’t understand how I could happily spend 2 hours (sometimes longer) in the bath.  There was a time when he realised that the bath is where I would go to process stuff; things that had come up during divorce proceedings, child residency proceedings, bankruptcy, a bad day at work.  When all that was done and dusted, I stopped having baths as life was good but before long I realised I missed that time solely to myself.

These days, I run a hot bubble bath just because.  Maybe I want to completely unwind and relax, I want to ease sore muscles after a run, I want to feel decadent with a glass of wine and a book or I just want some time where I’m not disturbed to think, plan and drift away for a short while.

Whatever the reason for choosing to run a bubble-bath, I always make sure I have a selection of fragrances to choose from too.

Bubble baths are not a luxury, they’re a central feature of my self-care and the best (and easiest) way I know to ‘Step into Selfish’.

Besides, the more relaxed you feel, the more likely you are to be open to advances from your  partner, which can only be a good thing for creating a strong, healthy and robust relationship!

Enjoy your bubble bath and whatever may follow!