Spending time in the spa for a bit of pampering to relax, unwind, and recharge your body and mind is lovely. I don't know any woman who wouldn't love that.
The downside is it's expensive. Not to mention the fact that most women can only squeeze in very little time in their busy schedule.
You shouldn't deprive yourself of indulging in some personal TLC. Here are some pampering tips that you can easily do at home and won’t cost you a fortune.
1. Give yourself a manicure
There’s something about freshly manicured nails that brings a smile to any woman’s face and does wonders in boosting their self-confidence.
Doing your own nails is way cheaper than having it done in a nail salon. At the same time, you need to focus on them to avoid uneven blotches on your nails. When you’re focused on manicuring your nails, you’re blocking out everything else from your mind.
More importantly, it forces you to relax and do nothing until your nails dry. Usually, that takes a good 30 minutes. It’s a great time to recline on a comfortable chair, close your eyes and do a bit of meditation while you’re at it.
2. Soaking in a warm bath
A nice warm bath is excellent in easing and relaxing those muscles in your body that tightened up because of work and stress, especially if you add some Epsom salt and a few drops of essential oils. It can even help alleviate depression, anxiety, and all those other negative vibes you're feeling.
Soaking in a warm bath also helps you sleep better at night. Studies show that having a colder core body temperature helps your body go into sleep mode. When you soak in a warm bath for about 30 minutes, your body's temperature rises. But the moment you step out, it rapidly drops. This drop in body temperature triggers your body to produce melatonin, which is the hormone responsible for making you sleep.
If you don't have a bathtub, allow yourself to stay underneath the shower for a few minutes gives you the same effect.
3. Indulge yourself in a facial.
Healthy, glowing skin beats even the best makeup products any time. The best part? You can do it at home.
My go-to favorite when I want to pamper myself is the 10-step Korean Skincare routine. That might sound a lot of steps to do for a facial. But from my experience, it does wonders on any skin type.
And because there are so many steps involved, I purposely have to block off a significant amount of time to go through the entire routine. That means time just to indulge and enjoy the whole process.
4. Read a book.
Pampering yourself shouldn’t just be skin deep. Your mind and soul need some nourishing too. Curling up and reading a book is a great way to feed your brain while lowering your stress levels by up to 68%.
For one, reading a book forces your brain to "slow down" and not try to think of a million other things.
Second, it stimulates your imagination. I always tend to choose a classic fiction novel whenever I want to destress and unwind because there's no need for me to analyze or memorize anything written on it. So, it's effortless for me to put down when I start feeling sleepy.
Also, the way how those authors would describe the sceneries in these novels is so detailed that I can actually imagine those rolling green hills and fiery sunsets. Seeing these picturesque images helps calm me down, even if I just imagine them.
5. Have a glass of wine.
After a stressful workday, I always leisurely pour myself a glass of wine to signal to my brain that the day is done and it’s time now for me to relax and unwind.
Knowing that drinking a glass of red wine every day is good for your health is an added bonus. Studies have shown that red wine can help increase blood flow, lower your cholesterol, and improve your mental well-being.
While I’m not really too particular about wine brands, I’ve recently been loving the 2015 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from The Jordan Winery. Aside from it being somewhat affordable, it's got a low alcohol content for me to enjoy this while reading a good book or as what Jordan Winery’s chef Todd Knoll recommends, with some Brie or Camembert cheese slices (both of which are among my favorite!).
6. Light a scented candle.
The flickering flame of a lit candle can be very mesmerizing and calming to look at. On top of that, lit candles have this warm and gentle glow that transforms the room into a cozy and relaxing environment.
Aromatherapy candles made with lavender or lemon essential oils also help in reducing your stress levels and easing you from anxious and depressing thoughts.
When burning aromatherapy candles, make sure to put this in a safe place away from the reach of children. Also, never leave a candle burning when you leave the room, even if it’s only going to be for a few minutes. That’s going to be a fire hazard waiting to happen.
7. Indulge in your favorite comfort food.
This is one of my all-time favorite pampering tips. And the good news about it is that it's backed by science!
According to the Journal of Psychological Science, enjoying a serving of your favorite comfort food help improve your mood by giving you warm thoughts and feelings from within. The reason is that these comfort foods take us back to our childhood and a time when we are surrounded by people that made us feel safe, unique, and secure.
Personally, cooking relaxes me which is why I cook my own comfort food whenever I need a bit of pampering and stress relief. Of course, if the thought of cooking stresses you out, you can always order take-out from your favorite restaurant or, better yet, have it delivered to your home.
8. Do a tech detox.
Technology is now a part of our everyday lives. While it has its benefits, all the gadgets we've come to enjoy makes it possible for your boss to bombard with you with everything you need to get done the following day.
Also, the artificial blue light coming from your computer screen or mobile phone can affect your body's sleep cycle, causing your mind to stay awake no matter how tired your body may feel. Rather than feeling refreshed when you wake up the next day, you end up feeling tired, sluggish and want to go back to bed.
Unlike a food cleanse that need to be done for days or weeks to experience results, you only need a few hours a day to feel more relaxed, reduce your stress levels, and spend the time to do things that you enjoy without being bothered.
As you can see, you don't need to set aside a lot of time to indulge and pamper yourself. So go ahead! Indulge yourself in one of these pampering tips to refresh your body, mind, and soul.
What’s your favorite way to pamper yourself at home?
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