The one change that worked: I was burned out and stressed then I found a steamy solution

"I felt as though my career as a freelance journalist was on permanent life-support, I was juggling a hectic family life, and I was consumed with worry about a world seemingly hellbent on self-destruction. I was struggling, too, with the death of a close family member and an old school friend. Grieving had become a default status. Despite support from family and loved ones, I needed to find a way to cope with this nearly overwhelming sense of loss."

"I tried meditation, yoga and therapy, which all helped. Then I heard of Community Sauna Baths, a not-for-profit project in London designed to make saunas accessible and affordable for everyone. From my very first visit, I felt something change. A sense of peace came over me. It immediately felt like a sanctuary, a pocket of calm in the chaotic city that also allowed me to soothe this churning sadness and release some of the bottled-up angst. Now, I visit regularly."

"There are so many benefits to saunas, I now realise. They reduce stress by releasing endorphins, and help to improve cardiovascular and muscle health. My hamstrings, which usually feel as if they're permanently encased in cement, have loosened up dramatically. I feel so much more flexible now. I also enjoy the sensory experience of saunas: the smell of the wood, the sizzling of water ladled on hot stones and, though perhaps less so, the bracing shock of the cold plunge pools afterwards,"

A freelance journalist approached burnout while juggling a fragile freelance career, hectic family life and pervasive anxiety about the world, alongside grieving two close deaths. Meditation, yoga and therapy provided some relief. A not-for-profit Community Sauna Baths in London offered accessible, affordable saunas and produced a profound calming effect from the first visit. Regular attendance created a sanctuary and social connection, with welcoming, communal bench-sharing. Saunas delivered physiological benefits—endorphin-driven stress reduction, cardiovascular and muscle improvements—and personal benefits including markedly loosened hamstrings, greater flexibility, and strong sensory experiences of wood, sizzling water and icy cold plunges.

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