Give Yourself a Spa Day

When you imagine a day at the spa, what do you picture?

If you picture mud masks, exfoliating scrubs, soaking in mineral baths, cleansing and detoxifying, then I have some good news for you: you can give yourself a spa day at home!

When I turned 40, my husband gave me an entire day at a local spa. I got a facial, a salt scrub, a massage, lunch, and a mani-pedi. Sounds fantastic, right? But I really didn't enjoy most of it. The facial was just bizarre: one strange cream slathered on and then wiped off so another cream could be slathered on. And wiped off. Why??? At the end of the whole process, my face just looked red. (No, I don't think I was "glowing.")

During the holidays--between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day--most of us have too much to do. There's the endless shopping, the cooking, the cleaning, guests coming and going, traveling, parties galore, excessive eating, drinking, and smiling, all without enough sleep. Throw in some perimenopause symptoms, a few dogs, endless rain, mud, and a couple of mysterious illnesses. And what do you get? In a word: STRESS.

Get your calendar out and schedule some down time. Don't argue with me! You can schedule a spa day--either at home or at the Day Spa--just the same way you schedule all your other commitments. Write it down. Carve out the time and honor it, as you would any other arrangement!

If you have the money to spend, go ahead and let someone else do all the work. If you are tight at the moment, you can still have a lovely, relaxing spa day at home. Here's how:

1) Make a list. Check it twice. Note all the wonderful, relaxing activities you'd like to include in your spa day. Do you want a facial? A mineral bath? A massage? A mani-pedi? When you know what you plan to include, then make a second list.

2) Make another list. Write down all the supplies you will need for your home spa day. Some suggestions: epsom salts for your bath, ingredients--clay, yogurt, oats, avocado, etc--for your facial mask, foam roller for your massage, detox tea and salad stuff for your lunch, nail polish, emory boards, pumice stone, your favorite lotions, etc.

3) Warn your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, co-workers, and pets that you will not be available to attend to their needs on this particular day. Set aside an entire day for yourself! Is this too indulgent? NO!

4) Prepare your space. Play soft, soothing music or choose complete silence. Get some great reading material like magazines, novels, or whatever you enjoy most. Try to get all the work out of the way before your spa day begins--chop veggies and make the dressing for your salad ahead of time. Make sure your tub is clean. Have lots of chilled bubbly water or champagne ready. This is YOUR spa day, so design it your own way. Who says you can't sip on a mimosa at the spa?

5) Set out your softest slippers, a clean bathrobe, and plenty of towels. If you love fresh flowers, get some for your table. You are going on a special date--with yourself!

Although an entire day would be best, and you definitely deserve it, if you can only spend one hour relaxing, this will be better than nothing. Choose one pampering activity instead of five. Give yourself a fantastic massage with the foam roller or just relax in the tub.

I hope you choose to care for yourself this holiday season.