Hi Gorgeous!
I'm in Memphis-and when I get home-I'm following these tips with some at home spa care! Enjoy!
###
With the holidays quickly
approaching it's common for many consumers to begin stressing over
money, travel and family issues. Luckily, today kicks off
Spa Week,
the annual event where local and national spa companies offer $50 deals
on massages, facials and other treatments. While this is a great time
to get pampered and de-stress for less, it also reminds us about the
importance of overall wellness, and how small adjustments to your
lifestyle can make a big impact on your physical and mental health.
Cultivating wellness within our
own lives goes beyond the occasional massage; it can be as easy as
attending a yoga class, listening to music or taking a long, hot soak in
the bathtub. You also don't need the royal (and expensive) treatment to
reap the benefits. Here are several budget-friendly tips for pampering
yourself and fending off stress to enjoy the holiday season and beyond.
1. Be a guinea pig.
Massage therapy requires certified professionals to administer specific
techniques that help tight muscles release. This certification requires
training my massage therapy schools, and budding masseuses require
students on which to practice their budding skills. Research the massage
therapy schools and training programs in your area and sign up to be a
guinea pig. This is an inexpensive way to get a massage and help someone
hone their skills.
2. Look for coupons.
Introductory offers are plentiful among salon outlets, but they only
last one session. Look for other means of money-savings through coupons,
daily deals and promotional newsletters. For example, you can find
coupon codes to SpaFinder through deal sites like
CouponSherpa.com,
or save big bucks on a chiropractic-massage session through Groupon.
Additionally, signing up for newsletters from local spas can yield new
member discounts.
3. Find free yoga.
The deep stretching offered by yoga helps alleviate tight muscles and
reduces the need for frequent massages. If you suffer from back pain or
other muscle-related discomfort, consider a consistent yoga practice to
treat your tightness. Most yoga studios offer a free day or even a free
week's worth of classes so you can find instructors and styles that meet
your needs. Free yoga classes are also offered by businesses like
Lululemon, or by studios who also train yoga teachers and need students
as part of the certification program.
4. Turn up the tunes. Listening to music can be an incredibly healing practice, especially when we're stressed. According to
PsychCentral,
music can help slow down our pulse and heart rate, lower our blood
pressure and reduce the level of stress hormones in our bodies. This is
especially true of slow, classical music, but listening (and singing
along) to your favorite tunes in the car can also be a stress-relieving
practice. Get started listening to Pandora or Spotify while you get
ready in the morning, or while you prepare dinner.
5. Design a sleep haven. A
recent article in TIME
suggests sleep is "more powerful than any drug in its ability to
restore and rejuvenate the human brain and body." Yet, according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 to 70 million Americans
have trouble sleeping. To get your sleeping patterns on track,
design your bedroom
as a sleep haven. Subtle adjustments like dimmed lighting, soothing
colors and an overall lack of clutter can do wonders in helping you
catch some much-need Zzs.
6. Clean your sheets.
Since we've determined sleep is a major contributor to our overall
health and wellness, keeping your bed in tip-top shape should be a
priority. According to a National Sleep Foundation poll, over 70 percent
of those surveyed admitted to sleeping better on clean sheets. Also, as
tempting as it may be to invite Fido or Whiskers onto your bed at
night, avoid sleeping with pets. Doing so not only disrupts your sleep
patterns but may require more frequent sheet cleaning, as animals have
all kinds of nasty things on their paws!
7. Take a bath.
Nothing wards off a chill quite like a hot bath. According to
scientific research, daily dips in your bathtub every day for eight
weeks is better at reducing anxiety than a prescription drug. Plus,
adding oatmeal to your bath can help treat dry skin; essential oils can
boost brain function, reduce stress and clear nasal passages; and epsom
salt can alleviate sore muscles, treat small wounds and even fight minor
illness. What better reason to draw a hot bath tonight?
8. Start stretching.
If yoga is too much of a time or physical commitment, a simple
stretching routine can go a long way in reducing stress and chronic
pain. According to the Mayo Clinic, stretching "increases blood flow to
the muscle," aids in circulation, and releases tension is areas that
tend to become knotted during periods of stress, like the neck and
shoulders. To get started, pick up inexpensive resistance bands from
Target or Walmart, and check out
this list of stretching essentials to ensure you're getting the most out of your routine.
###
Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving
expert for Kinoli Inc., who helps consumers live on less without
radically changing their lifestyles. From smart spending tips to
personal finance advice, Andrea transforms everyday consumers into savvy
shoppers. She has been featured among top news outlets such as
Good Morning America, NBC's Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. You can follow her on
Twitter for daily savings advice and tips.
Remember: you are beautiful!
Thank you for visiting the blog and check back for promotions and beauty giveaways!
