The Spa Effect: rediscovering the things that make you feel like you

During the pandemic we were so busy coping that time went by very quickly, and for many of us it didn’t really click quite what the impact was on our wellbeing until it started having a pretty big effect. From seemingly small side effects to dramatic health issues, from hair loss to sleeplessness, teeth grinding to obsessiveness over a wrinkle or line after one too many Zoom calls, the relentlessness of the year has affected us all in different ways, but it has affected us. Now is the time to rediscover the things that bring joy and wellbeing into our lives, and really make us feel like ourselves… on a good day.

Planning time for wellbeing 

This time holds the promise of moving towards metaphorically sunnier days. However, there are of course still responsibilities, hurdles and daily strains to contend with - as always. That means we can’t always put our own wellbeing to one side until the time is right to look after it. It’s an ongoing thing that needs regular care in order to help us do the things we have to do, but also make the most of the life we’re living.

When times are hard and chaotic, planning time to take care of ourselves is more important than ever. Otherwise six months can go by and have no idea how your mind and body are really feeling. Perhaps it’s the moment post-lockdown when you went into a supermarket or busy high street for the first time in months and found yourself completely overwhelmed. Perhaps it was that ache in your shoulder that wouldn’t go away or waking in the morning to a clenched jaw and aching teeth. 

The message here is book ahead. Get dates in the diary for those spa days and mini-breaks, especially as this year is likely to bring high demand and limited availability at spas and hotels across the UK as restrictions begin to lift in the coming months.

Bring back the levity 

Taking care of our wellbeing isn’t just about looking after mind and body in order to help prevent bigger health issues. It’s also about having fun now. Last year definitely didn’t include enough fun. For us, this means the down time, the pampering, the relaxation, the space to switch off, the self care, the time with friends, the human connections, the odd glass of bubbly and the occasional afternoon tea. They’re not just nice things to do, they’re the things that give us joy and as a result, a strength and a sense of self so that we can take on the world and everything it throws at us.

Have you ever had one of those moments where a loved one hugs you and for no reason at all you find yourself moved to tears? Or perhaps something not particularly funny at all leaves you and your best friend in fits of giggles so hard they make your eyes water, making you realise just how much you needed a good laugh? These are the things we have been missing, the moments we can’t manufacture, the things that only happen when we create the space and time to let them. That’s what we call, The Spa Effect.

So, turn off Zoom, tune into your wants and needs and drop out of the lockdown blues. It’s time to make time for the real you, your wellbeing and rediscovering the things that make you feel like you. 

What does The Spa Effect mean to you?