A spa weekend can be healing for your mind, body and soul. Occasionally, you need a break from life’s responsibilities to commit to self-care. Otherwise, you may get burnt out, which may lead to stress or illness. After all, everyone deserves a breather to regroup and re-energize. Here are some ways heading to the spa can change your life for the better.
Encourages Relaxation
Dealing with stressful situations without relief can be debilitating. If you continue to let your anxiety levels compound, you’re putting yourself at risk for several serious issues, such as muscle pain, high blood pressure, depression and heart disease. In addition to other coping mechanisms, a spa day can help you relax, allowing your body and mind to recuperate. Hot tub therapy is a great option that reduces the body’s primary stress hormone, cortisol. It also helps to relieve muscle pain and loosen stiff joints.
If you suffer from headaches, consider getting a facial. Most specialists gently massage the face and neck during this treatment, relieving headache-causing tension. A facial also includes cleansing and exfoliating, so you’ll leave the spa feeling and looking better. The only thing that makes going to the spa better is including it as part of your vacation schedule. Whether heading to Island Cay at Clearwater Beach or Laguna Beach for your next getaway, you should consider making the excursion extra relaxing by lounging at the spa for a day or two.
Wards Off Depression
Many spa treatments combat depression by increasing the production of the mood-stabilizing neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. Massages are among the most popular options. You can heighten the effects of the experience by incorporating aromatherapy. The masseuse may have a diffuser in the room or use essential oils in addition to the massage oils directly on your skin. Practicing meditation during a massage can also help. Generally, during meditation, you focus on your breathing. However, if you’re meditating during a massage, you can concentrate on the feelings of your muscles loosening up. The point of meditation is to stay present in the moment instead of fixating on the past or future.
Improves Confidence
How you feel about yourself can affect your entire life. For instance, if you have low self-esteem, you may have trouble meeting work or personal goals or have issues maintaining friendships. It can impact your private and public life, which may leave you feeling even worse. Low self-esteem can even negatively affect your physical health. Fortunately, spa treatments can help you feel better about yourself. Several therapies are aimed at helping you see yourself in a more positive light. Body treatments, for example, tend to focus on skin care, exfoliation and detoxification. When you see the difference in your skin and know that you’re taking care of yourself, you’ll start to notice an improvement in your confidence level.
Promotes Restful Sleep
If you don’t get the nightly rest your body needs, you’re likely to suffer from lethargy, moodiness and the inability to concentrate. Additionally, you may struggle to complete even the most insignificant tasks. To remedy sleep deprivation, you should look into spa therapies that can help with the ailments keeping you awake. Do you toss and turn because you’re in physical pain, or are you worrying all night? Luckily, most treatments alleviate numerous issues, so you may be able to find a single treatment that helps with all of your problems. If your joints and muscles are bothering you or you’re stressing too much, a deep tissue massage can relax your body and release serotonin. You can amplify these effects by asking the masseuse to incorporate warm massage oils, hot stones or a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation unit. Your body can convert the excess serotonin into melatonin (the sleep hormone) to help you fall asleep later.
Many people think that a trip to the spa is a waste of time and money. However, you’re actually investing in your health by going to an appointment. You’ll look and feel like a whole new person afterward, ready to take on the world.
