Comedian Jenny Slate Starts Every Morning With This Wellness Ritual

Jenny Slate portrays a woman who enjoys many a bath in “Landline,” but apparently, the in-tub luxuriating doesn’t require much acting. Every day, the comedian-actress commences her real-life mornings with oils, soaps, or milks steeped in a warm soak, she recently revealed to Vogue.com.
“I like processes that seem like a little nature witch would be a part of. After my morning bath, I like to put rose oil on myself really, really slowly. It may sound silly, but it makes me happy. It helps me be very aware that I’m caring for myself,” she said of her daily a.m. routine.
While other celebrities seem to rely on hardcore workouts or hikes at ungodly hours, making like Slate is a welcome ritual, and it’s not just relaxing—it’s healthy for you, too. Hydrotherapy, the use of water to promote health or treat conditions, is a popular healing modality for pain management and muscle recovery. This is why athletes often hit the Jacuzzi after intense training, competitions, or injuries. But even us regular folk can benefit, according to science.
One study published this year in the journal Temperature found that immersing yourself in hot water for one hour generated similar blood sugar and anti-inflammatory responses to one hour of “moderate physical activity.” The study authors also concluded “bathing resulted in about as many calories being burned as a half-hour walk (around 140 calories).”
This doesn’t mean a bath can replace a solid workout (life is not that fair) since getting off your butt and moving has far more proven benefits than what was measured. (Also note the study was quite limited—it involved only seven humans, all men.) Still, other research, such as this study, support the general idea that hot-water submersion can aid your health in various ways, including lowering blood pressure.
Even if there aren’t flurries of solid studies backing bath time, there’s an overwhelming amount of anecdotal evidence. The most popular? You guessed it—taking a bath is meditative and helps reduce stress, especially if you incorporate a bit of aromatherapy. Lavender is a popular scent that’s been shown in research to alleviate stress. Rose oil, which Slate slathers all over post-bath, is known as an antidepressant in aromatherapy. Many people also report taking baths to lessen bloat and improve sleep.
If you really want to take your soak to the next level, don’t rely only on the water to feel great. Complement it with compliments, as Slate unapologetically does. “I repeat—sometimes out loud but mostly in my head—‘I’m fresh and I’m new’ at the start of every day. It never gets old. It’s a perfect lovely secret for only me to have. My grooming routine is filled with delightful, intentional little things I’ve done to myself that say ‘I’m precious’ and ‘I’m sweet’ and ‘I’m very, very sharp,’” she professed.
If bathing and whispering sweet nothings to yourself isn’t self-love, what is?
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