Holiday De-Stressing Starts Here….
’Tis the Season for Self-Care!
The holidays are upon us. The mad rush has begun for the best gifts, the best parties and spreading times of good cheer for all. But many of us are not so keen on the commercialism, the Black Friday to the cyber Monday-through-Friday, and all of the pre-sales to get people to buy-buy-buy.
If you’re feeling stressed already, here are a few top tips to abide. There are dozens of articles with advice on beating the blues around the holidays.
The first on the list, is SELF-CARE.
- Remember to take time out for yourself, and get out in nature, get some sunlight and breath fresh air. Avoiding the SAD (seasonal affective disorder)by stimulating serotonin through nature is a great start.
- Eat more fresh fruits and veggies, especially citrus (Vitamin C) and get some essential oils with citrus that will boost feelings of well-being.
- Take a brisk walk and get those endorphins going strong.
- Just say NO! You don’t have to accept every invitation, doing less and enjoy more. Too many office parties, family gatherings and events can become a burden, rather than a celebration.
- Don’t skip your regular routine, do whatever you do to keep your spirits up.
- Do find things that make you happy and smile. Laughter is still one of the best medicines!
- Create new memories, do something different, invite some new friends to join your family so the tension of some old family relations will be softened.
- Go TECH-FREE! Get back in touch with your loved ones and get connected the old-fashioned way, without the constant interruptions of cell phone buzzes and email alerts. This ongoing fight-or-flight mode is fraught with adrenaline bursts.
- Listen to soothing holiday music, like Jingle Bell Rock and reminisce about the good ol’ days,watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” which will set the mood for the whole family to remember Gratitude. We definitely all need some happy endings! Or you can find some new tunes/movies that help you to make your spirits bright.
- Best of all……..Give yourself a ‘hands on gift’. A massage or spa treatment that will release tension and let go of stress. Find a local spa that has some holiday specials and make sure to take care of yourself first, then get some of those specials for your family and friends.
If you live in California, there’s great news. Burke Williams Day Spa has a great selection of treatmenst to satisfy even the most savvy spa connoisseur. The Spa menu offers a variety of massages, and the best for this time of year is “The Pure Relaxation Massage”. The name says it all. Simply stress-relieving, nurturing, especially with the add-ons of Aromatherapy enhancements.
If you really need a great escape, try one of the Wetroom Treatments.
Salt or Sugar Glow……Picture this:You’re in a private room relaxing on a table with shower heads above. Your specialist uses either Salt or Sugar to exfoliate your skin. Then the overhead showers rinse you off and it feels like a warm waterfall cascading all over your body. After, you get a soothing massage with some fragrant oils to enrich and enhance a natural glow.
There are two other must try treatments, Savannah’s Surrender mineral salt massage, followed by warm, soothing organic mud and cascading shower plues invogorating lotion)and Hunter’s Retreat are their signature treatments. Hunter’s Retreat is an all-time favorite with exfoliating scrub, and a surprise of being cleansed with some fluffy wheat stalks soaked in exotic oils (really fun!) and then experiencing the cascading waterfall effect drenching your entire body with a healing rhythm.
There are so many other options to choose. The most important thing is to remember to take care of yourself first, so you can take care of others. Make this year’s holiday season one you won’t forget. And make it a yearly ritual from now on. You will definitely have more fun!
