If you feel you have been waking up on the wrong side of bed, it is time to change your life by recapturing that golden hour when you wake each day. Here are some tips and pointers to set you on your journey.
1. Get enough sleep
If you wake up exhausted in the morning, you will not be happy. Nothing kills your desire to seize the day then waking up more tired than when you went to bed. If you haven’t optimized the quality of your sleep, there is a good chance you are not getting enough quality rest at night.
It is hard to have a positive attitude on your day when you feel like climbing back into bed. A good night’s rest is the elixir of good health that touches and transforms all it touches. Regularly bathing in this mystical elixir is the key to good health and happiness.
Research has shown that getting a good night’s rest improves the chemical composition of the body and brain allowing you to focus the mind, sharpen the immune system and improve people’s mood and feelings of well-being. A good mattress can make all the difference here and help you have a comfortable night’s rest.
By the same measure, not getting enough sleep can impair the memory and preserve your daily levels of stress hormones. So, the first step in enjoying a happy awakening each day is to do all you can to improve the quality of your nightly repose. Begin by setting a proper sleep schedule and sticking to it.
2. A new day, a new start
Happy people awake each day as a brand-new life, which it is. They awaken in the morning as if they had died and were resurrected with another chance to live. This means that all the troubles and problems that were present yesterday are gone and all that is left is the challenge to live today as best they can. Yesterday was an awful steamy pile of putrid failure — but today is a completely new start.
Happy people often use affirmation to maintain this positive frame of mind. They declare out loud what they expect from their day and then set their minds and hearts in that direction. A positive affirmation in the morning can gear you up for ultimate success.
Some great examples include:
I have the capacity and intellect to make the best decisions for myself.
I am enough.
I release any negative feelings and accept all that is good.
I am courageous. I am willing to act and face my fears.
3. Wake up grateful
An attitude of gratitude is one of the greatest things you can offer yourself and is a great way to begin the day. A grateful heart is a happy heart and it provides a capacity for action and great power.
Think actively about what you are most thankful for and this will convert into an attitude of gratitude. It is a positive thought loop that is easy to practice and provides nothing but benefits to the mind and body.
How can you tap into this tremendous power? Simple! In that vital moment when you first open your eyes, take a moment to feel a swell of appreciation for all you have and all you are. Recognize what a wonderful time it is to be alive and how good it feels to be you.
Recognize that today is a gift — which is why it is called the present — and you can choose to do with it whatever you want to do with it. So, why not choose to be happy? Take a moment to gather your physical and mental faculties with which you will face your day and be grateful for each and every one for these are your real treasures.
4. Create a well-appointed morning routine
Happy people are not rushing around at top speed and then bolting out the door already feeling behind schedule. Doing this will set you up for disaster. You will only carry that same harried feeling throughout the day. Instead, consider how you can start the day with a calm, thankful and relaxed state of mind.
Happy people must take the time to keep their hearts and minds at rest. Find the best way to begin your day with simple steps, one after another. No multi-tasking or attending to the inconsequential until you have gathered your mental focus.
Do one thing at a time and never take on more than you can manage, keep this up and you will soon find that you can manage more than you possibly imagined.
5. Meditate
Why meditate? Meditation is another function in the mind that many people do not fully value. If you can afford a full hour of meditation, or no more than 5 minutes, you will gain an uncanny measure of fortitude with unlimited benefits. Meditation not only provides a better understanding of the mind and how it functions but can even give you glimpses into why it functions the way it does.
No matter how much you wish it weren’t true, stress is unavoidable. That doesn’t mean you have to let it get you down. Instead, use these simple tips to create a zen spa retreat in your home where you can escape, destress, and recharge to face a new day.
1. Streamline Your Decorating
While many people associate homey decor with comfort, a true luxury spa experience is more likely to be streamlined and minimalist. Take a cue from leading Utah home builders and opt for clean lines and soft hues with luxury touches that really pop.
To get started, include plenty of storage options. Giving everything in your home a place to go make sit more likely you’ll pick up clutter instead of leaving it lying around. If adding storage doesn’t;t help, you may need to undertake a larger decluttering effort. Turn to the internet to find pros that can help you wade through belongings if you really struggle in this area.
2. Bring Nature Indoors
There are so many great reasons to bring nature indoors, that it’s hard to imagine skipping this step. For starters, spending time in nature has been shown to produce a calming effect. Some research has even shown it to help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. Natural surroundings also promote healing, which is central to a relaxing spa experience. Here are a few ideas to help you bring natural elements into your home:
• Use natural materials, such as wood, cotton and linen materials, and pottery
• Add a few houseplants to the decor
• Use natural sunlight to brighten interior spaces
• Open a window or door to draw in the fresh air and natural sounds
• Add a small fountain to provide a backdrop of water sounds
3. Choose Restful Colors
There are good reasons why experts recommend changing wall color as a quick, inexpensive way to completely transform a room. The color that you choose will greatly influence the statement your room ultimately makes. It pays to invest a little time choosing the right shades to help create a calm, centered feeling. Color psychology can help you do that.
Color psychology — the science that looks at how colors affect people and their emotions — tells us that certain hues will evoke a calm response. In many cases, those will be lighter, gentle colors, such as whites, pale blues, and creamy yellows. However, there are some bolder colors, such as deep blues, that also promote calm and centering.
4. Splurge on Lighting
It is all too common for people to add lighting as an afterthought in a room design. That is a big mistake. How you illuminate a space can make or break its overall appearance and the feeling it gives off. Harsh, overhead lighting can create a sterile and unwelcoming feel while softer light is easy more relaxing.
Shop around for a varied lighting approach as you are designing your space. It’s fine to include overhead lights, but you will also want to have other options for when you want to relax and unwind. Wall sconces are an excellent way to do this. Spotlights are excellent for highlighting pieces of art.
5. Create a Private Space
You might want the entire house to feel warm and welcoming, but that may not be a possibility. Differing schedules, a home office carved out of the dining room, and any other number of things can interfere with your attempts. Instead of giving up, carve a special place out of the larger house for your retreat.
It is common for people to turn their bathrooms into spa retreats, but they aren’t the only option. A reading corner in the bedroom or a small yoga corner in the family room can serve the same purpose on a smaller scale. Add a few personal touches and an essential oil diffuser with some lavender and you are ready to relax in a miniature oasis.
You don’t have to do an entire house renovation to create a spa retreat in your home. Bringing nature indoors, carving out a personal area in the house, and investing in soothing colors and lighting can make a big difference quickly and easily.
Day spa insurance, mobile spa insurance, massage spa insurance, and health spa insurance are all examples of spa insurance. Choosing the right spa insurance coverages for your business is critical since it may protect you against several risks, such as a slip and fall at your establishment.
Of course, you want to make sure your spa business is adequately insured, but many business owners do not know all that is and isn’t covered by their business insurance.
Regardless of whether your business is located on your premises, new business owners may need to set aside time to look for business auto insurance or any other sort of insurance that is unique to their operation.
Even if you have standard personal insurance on your car, you may not be entirely covered if something goes wrong when your property is used for business. If you use your automobile for work, insurance, especially business auto insurance, protects you.
Regular vehicle insurance policies do not cover commercial usage, so when establishing your new spa business, make sure your automobile is protected at all times.
What insurance do I need for my spa business?
Day spas, mobile spas, massage spas, and health spas all benefit from spa insurance tailored to their specific needs. Several criteria influence the cost of spa insurance.
The location of the business, its specialization, and the number of staff are a few examples of the factors that influence spa business insurance rates. Though different spa businesses customize their insurance to their specific needs, there are a few basic spa business insurance coverages available, including:
Business owners policy (BOP): A BOP is a policy that combines general liability and commercial property insurance into a single policy.
Commercial auto insurance: Commercial auto insurance covers your company’s vehicles, making it a critical spa insurance coverage, particularly for mobile spas. Furthermore, most personal auto insurance plans exclude incidents when a car is being used for commercial purposes.
General liability insurance: Also known as business insurance, general liability insurance protects your company from injuries and losses caused by third parties.
For instance, a customer at your spa slips and falls on some massage oil. Their injury could be covered by general liability.
Workers’ compensation: If your employees are hurt or get ill due to their employment, workers’ compensation will cover them.
A mobile spa business, for example, will have a different insurance cost than a day spa company. Since a mobile spa will cater to varying needs for a customer than a day spa, the mobile spa will need different insurance coverage.
Business auto insurance would probably be the most essential form of insurance for mobile spa businesses. It would also be crucial for any other spa business that relies heavily on a vehicle — even if it is a personal vehicle.
What’s the difference between personal and business auto insurance?
Personal and business auto insurance plans provide similar coverage and rate management. Your business car premium will be higher, just like your personal vehicle insurance policy, if your spa business is in a high-traffic region rather than a low-traffic location.
The most significant distinction between the two types of policies is that they are retained for different purposes. Accidents that occur while your car is being operated for personal, not work reasons, are only covered by personal auto insurance.
Commuting to and from work and traveling are considered personal activities because they are irrelevant to your job responsibilities.
A business auto insurance policy covers a company’s usage of automobiles, vans, trucks, and other vehicles for business reasons. This form of coverage applies to company-owned and leased cars and employee-owned vehicles operated for business reasons.
Property damage, lawsuits, lost business income, and other damages that occurred during a car accident while executing responsibilities for the company are covered by business auto insurance.
What is the rate difference between personal and commercial car insurance?
Regrettably, no exact, clear percentage difference exists between personal and business insurance plans because each insurance company is unique and considers different criteria when calculating a premium.
Insurance companies evaluate the same variables as they do for consumers purchasing personal insurance plans. Gender and age, marital status, location, credit score, driving record, automobile age and safety, and driving activity are such criteria.
With the added knowledge that the coverage is for a car used for business reasons, the insurance company generally scrutinizes the customer. It closely examines the drivers’ profession and driving activities.
Furthermore, the placement of your company automobile is vital since it can be easily damaged or stolen if kept in an unprotected position.
What types of vehicles are excluded from personal auto insurance?
You must cover a private passenger car to get personal auto insurance coverage. Sedans, coupes, wagons, minivans, and other small automobiles are examples of these vehicles.
Getting personal auto insurance on certain vehicles is tough, similar to how some business operations make it difficult for you to get personal auto insurance coverage on your work-related vehicle. Vehicles that a personal insurance policy can’t cover include those that have:
Altered suspension lifts or racing equipment
A load capacity of at least 2,000 pounds
Gross vehicle weight of at least 10,000 pounds and is a truck, van, or utility vehicle
Permanent toolboxes or ladder racks attached to it
Special equipment attached to it
How do I buy spa business auto insurance?
If you are in an accident while driving for business and do not have spa business auto coverage, you can’t submit a claim. You may even be breaking the law if you drive your vehicle without adequate insurance coverage.
As a result, if you use your automobile for business purposes, you must get business car insurance. Regular vehicle insurance only protects you when you use your car for social and personal purposes, such as visiting a friend or going to work.
Although business auto insurance is not always inexpensive, there are many discounts available that you may inquire about when looking for the best coverage. Getting a commercial vehicle policy is comparable to purchasing personal coverage.
Tell the insurance person your name, age, where you live, and why you’re driving your car. They will then advise you on which coverage kinds are best for your requirements.
If you use your automobile for both business and pleasure and registered in your name, you may use your personal insurance. To do so, you’ll need to tell your insurer how you use the car for business purposes regularly.
Imani Francies writes and researches for the auto insurance comparison site, AutoInsurance.org. Imani advises small business owners on how to find the best insurance to protect their business.
Spas are famous for relaxation, but did you know that certain spa treatments can actually improve your health? Regular spa visits could be the perfect addition to your healthcare routine to help you maintain a youthful glow, better mobility, and more energy for your daily life. If you haven’t checked out a spa before, here are four treatments and how they can help you improve your health.
1. Massages
A basic massage is great for occasional aches and pains, but what if your pain is a little more severe? If you have health issues or have been through a traumatic event like a car accident, it may be painful for others to help you work out tight muscles, but an experienced masseuse can help you find relief safely. There are different levels of pressure and different tools that can be used to achieve different results. An expert can help you decide on the type of massage that will best fit your needs, and they will likely recommend you start out with a more gentle massage. Jumping into a more intense, deep tissue massage can be extremely painful if you’re not used to the sensation. Getting a massage regularly can reduce pain, improve your circulation, and even make you feel more alert.
2. Acupuncture or Acupressure
If you’re looking for something to target different areas and systems of your body, like your metabolic health, acupuncture may be what you’re looking for. By carefully placing thin, delicate needles into your skin, acupuncture specialists can help you achieve better mental clarity, a boosted immune system, more energy, and reduced pain from issues like eye strain, headaches, and even migraines. Acupuncture can help regulate your digestive system and can reduce the severity of allergy symptoms. It can also be helpful for those wishing to quit harmful habits like smoking. Acupressure doesn’t use needles, so it may be a better option if needles bother you. Instead, acupressure involves placing pressure on the different acupoints of your body.
3. Saunas
If you’re not a fan of sweating, saunas may not be for you, but they can offer a lot of health benefits. Being in a heated room elevates your temperature, which increases blood flow. This helps circulation and can have a positive effect on heart health over time. You may even decrease your chances of high blood pressure or heart disease. Increased blood flow to the skin can improve your skin health and leave you with a lovely glow. The heat can also help loosen any remaining tension in your muscles after a massage. Sitting in a sauna gives you no other option than to relax, which can alleviate stress. Plus, all the sweating can help with detoxification.
4. Facials
There are many different types of facials out there. There are even treatments that can be used on the whole body. Facials are mainly seen as a tool to relax and improve skin texture and appearance, but they can do more. Your local spa will almost certainly be able to create a custom facial just for you and your skin needs. Facial massage increases circulation, and when paired with other anti-aging properties, can help you appear younger for longer. Exfoliation helps to keep your pores from becoming clogged and inflamed, and removing the top layer of dead skin can take your skin from dull to glowing. Facials can also encourage healthy cell turnover, resulting in the reduced appearance of scars and other marks. By the end of the facial, you can have smoother, softer, and tighter skin. Facials also tend to accompany skincare help from a professional so you can get similar results from the comfort of your home between treatments.
While relaxing is important, relaxation is certainly not all that spas have to offer. When you enter a curated environment dedicated to helping you with your health issues, you’re more likely to enjoy and benefit from your treatments.
As a spa owner, your mission is to establish a restorative, relaxing and unique experience for your patrons; however, with the number of spas out this, it isn’t always easy to distinguish yourself. Everything from the latest treatments to a one-of-a-kind ambiance will help you rival your competition. These seven unique features can help you rise above the competition and provide your patrons with an experience that they will never forget.
Healthy Snacks
Many spas make the mistake of only offering a treatment-based experience, where patrons are invited into the space when they are paying for a service. Instead of having them engage in a purely transactional experience where they leave immediately following their booked service, entice them to stick around with healthy snacks. With a wide array of healthy, but delicious snack options tucked behind pretty pantry doors, you can round out their experience and provide a memorable moment that they will want to experience again and again.
Infused Water
As you are considering your patrons’ full experience, rehydrating supplies is key. While you can provide a cooler or bottled water, fruit or vegetable infused water gives you that little extra something. With cucumber and lime-infused water or melon and mint option, you can elevate their experience and encourage hydration. No longer are you the run-of-the-mill spa when you go the extra mile with these finishing touches.
Pressed Juices
One of the latest trends in health and wellness is pressed juice. This refreshment can feel revitalizing after a spa treatment and be the perfect way to pamper your guests. Whether you have a juice bar or just a few delectable options, you can take your ordinary experience and make it extraordinary when you offer pressed juice.
Signature Scent
Taste is not the only sense that you can tap into when you are searching for spa-enhancing features. Consider upgrading your patrons’ scent experience. While aromatherapy is commonplace in spa experiences, your company can go the extra mile by offering a signature scent. Whether you pump this fragrance throughout the building or offer signature combinations, you can use the power of scent to create a strong connection with your guests. If you truly want to make the most of your fragrance-based feature, you should do some testing to make sure that you find the perfect one for you and your patrons.
Sound Baths
For those who are all about their body’s senses, a sound bath is a must-offer spa feature. This immersive experience has a way of uniquely and sensually tapping into the body. The strength behind these tones can draw out tension and help you feel more relaxed. While sound baths are not for everyone, the experience can be a fascinating feature that can draw in a different kind of clientele.
Sensory Deprivation Tanks
Not all patrons will want tingling senses while they are engaging in their spa experience. A feature that is gaining a lot of popularity is sensory deprivation tanks. This extraordinarily unique experience cuts off other senses, causing the individual in the tank to have a quiet reflective moment in the calmest, most ambient setting possible. With a completely new environment, accompanied by the sense of floating freely, many patrons experience a sense of peace that washes over them and can truly enjoy this strange but enticing sensation.
Facial Steaming
Another immensely popular spa service that has gained a lot of attention is facial steaming. The days of sitting in saunas are long gone and have been replaced with more targeted steaming. Through heat and moisture, many patrons experience a rejuvenating sensation. With the ability to clear out sinuses, pores and refresh your face, this can be an exhilarating and relaxing experience all at the same time. Don’t miss out on the chance for your patrons to steam away their stress when you can offer them this wonderful service.
Whether you are looking for an immersive sensory experience or a more well-rounded, holistic approach, there are options out there for any spa company. Don’t let your features fall out of favor with your patrons and instead, bulk up your services with these exciting and exciting options.
