We’ve gone cold on a long, hot bath

A LONG soak in a hot bath used to be the essence of relaxation – but not any more.

In our fast-paced world it has become an occasional luxury for many and a thing of the past for most.

Only one in four unwind in the tub, and the rest prefer a quick shower, a survey shows.

After a busy day at work, most people are far more likely to go home to browse Facebook or watch TV on catch-up.

However, those who do take baths know how to make the most of the occasion. Four per cent of Britons have a long, luxurious bath with candles or scents, 4 per cent enjoy listening to music or singing and another 4 per cent simply like to daydream.

Peter Kinderman, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Liverpool, said: ‘We could be making better choices about how we spend our time. There are plenty of opportunities to make us feel good.

‘The paradox is that people aren’t choosing things to make their lives better – they’re making mundane and easy choices, which essentially aren’t making people happy.

‘I always encourage people to make con- scious choices about how to spend their time. Whether you have a spare ten minutes or two hours, think about how you would like to make the most of this time.

‘Whether the choice is to go for a run, call a relative, bake a cake, or relax in a bath.’

Joy Parkinson, managing director of the beauty products firm Faith In Nature, which commissioned the poll of 2,000 people, said: ‘The survey indicates that Britons have forgotten how to relax.

‘Perhaps this is a lesson that we should all give ourselves more time to do things that genuinely make us feel more relaxed.’