If you are someone who has a lot of full-time commitments, such as work, university or family responsibilities, chances are you’ve had some rather stressful days. Workloads pile up, university deadlines loom, meetings are back and forth, and there simply isn’t enough time for yourself in the day.
A few months ago, I chose to spend some time at one of the Bannatyne spas which are scattered across the area. Work-life balance seemed to be off, and my productivity had ceased.
The first thing that happened as soon as I got there was that I was given a white dressing gown, flip flops, and a bag. Even just entering the building, the atmosphere was super calm and relaxed.
Spas offer a multitude of different body massage treatments, and facial treatments. They’re available as day packages, or as part of a multi-day holiday packages. They also offer access to other facilities such as swimming pools, saunas, and steam rooms.
They also offer some high-end skincare products during the treatments, and the actual spa treatment itself is peaceful and relaxing.
While I was having my back massaged with lava stones, the woman doing the treatment mentioned how we simply do not spend enough time pampering ourselves. Doing so provides amazing relief from work or university stress, and I wish I had gone to a spa sooner.
Not only that, but the aesthetic aspect of spas is evident, given that the range of skincare and facial treatments can be catered for any skin type, prevent ageing, and restore emotional equilibrium.
Pampering yourself isn’t just about getting a massage, relaxing, or taking a break. It is about living an experience and using that experience not only to be kind to yourself, but to others as well. It’s very easy for stress to manifest itself in physical actions as well as mental.
The lava stone treatment felt incredible, and even during the facial treatment it was relaxing. Feeling in a rush at the start of every morning sometimes meant that I scrubbed my face too hard or too fast. Noticing just how slow the facial scrub felt, made a world of difference.
Afterwards, I was free to have a dip in the pool and experience the sauna and steam room. With my muscles feeling more relaxed, swimming felt more natural, while the intense heat of the sauna and steam room gave me memories of being on holiday.
Pamper yourself. It’s amazing just how far this act of self-care can take you.
Feature image credit: theartofliving.com
PhD - Environmental Science. Aspiring research scientist. Like to blog things science, and how it affects us.
