Spa Days: Working to Unwind

Biz Chicks Rule

Being self employed has its perks. I love the flexibility it offers with my schedule and a (sometimes) crazy household. Although I try to plan my days, there are times when everything is out of whack and nothing, NOTHING goes according to my well-laid plans. Those are the days when I usually just want to scream. But, I can’t scream and I can’t find the time to unwind to boot. Working from literal sun-up to sun-down eventually catches up with a biz chick and down time is the only thing that will suffice.

[Image Source: sxc]

Pick An Activity, Any Activity

Unwind? How do I do it? Well, there are only a few things that I enjoy doing (or at least used to), when I have the time to do them. I love to read, although most of the time the only things I read are the back of the Motrin and Tylenol bottles. Then, there’s shopping. I love(d) to shop. I remember my shopping days…ahh, the memories. Those memories are fading fast, having been replaced by *necessity shopping*. That’s when you have to go to the store and you have to buy necessary items like groceries, soap, pullups and such. Like I said, necessity shopping. So there we have reading, shopping. Hmmm, what else? Oh, I used to like to do team sports stuff like volleyball and basketball, but after my kids became active in youth sports, there’s no time (or energy) to pursue any adult team sports. Oh well, maybe another time. So, there wasn’t anything else that I like(d) to do to unwind from long, stressful days of working at the computer, intensley engaging my mental faculties. Until…

Spa Time (sung to Hammer-time)

A friend of mine and I share the same birthday month, so every year we try to do something special as girlfriends. We may go out to a fancy restaurant, shop all day long, see a chick-flick or maybe all three of those things. The catch is no husband and no children as it is one of very few days of the year when we can actually do something we want to do that doesn’t involve happy meal toys or negligees. (clearing my throat)

So my friend called around our birthday and said she had a different idea that year, something we’d get a kick out of. She wanted to see if I’d like to do a ^^Spa Day^^. You know, that’s when you go to a spa for the day and get pampered and treated royally. You can get massages, pedicures, manicures, facials and all kinds of other fru-fru stuff. I have never been one for being squeezed on by strangers, but let me tell ‘ya, that was the best squeezing that I have EVER gotten (not counting Mr. Wright, of course).
*wink, wink*

We had Spa Day for the first time last year around our birthday and it was great. I got a hot stone massage, a microdermabrasion facial, a super-duper (my word) pedicure with callous remover and a body wrap. WOW! Folks let me tell you, that had to be the best Spa Day (although my first) that I have ever been on. I was soooo relaxed afterwards and really, REALLY felt a difference in my mental state and physical state. It was wonderful, ab-solute-ly wonderful. Since that time, I think I’ve been almost 9 times and my birthday is in September! I asked for Spa Day as a gift for Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, our wedding anniversary (great couple massages) and a few “just-because-I’m-tired” days. I got a different service each time (because they are so expensive, but worth it) and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Now, when I’ve overworked myself and am stressed out, I always get/ask for a spa day to unwind. Yes, I know it’s expensive and some consider it a luxury, but I consider it a necessity (kind of like groceries and soap) for my mental health. Besides, if your mental state is compromised, what good are you, right?

Simply…Unwind

I’ve had a rather stressful summer for the last couple of months, so I’ve booked a spa day for myself for next week. I am so looking forward to it because I do need to unwind really bad. I’m going by myself (sometimes, that’s really the only way to unwind) and only having a hot stone massage done. I wanted to have a facial, but can’t afford it right now. I’m happy with what I’m getting done though. The other perk is that the resort gives you access to all of its facilities when you get any service. So what I usually do is have a good, intense workout in their gym facilities, shower, go sit in the steam room for about 10 minutes, sit in the hot tub for 10 minutes, shower again and then get my massage. Heaven! This is all while soft music plays in the background, no one speaks above a whisper, me all clad in a big, fluffy bathrobe and slippers, and munching on almonds, dried cranberries and drinking Fuji water. Trust me, after a day of pampering like that, I feel rejuvenated and ready to take on any task.

When you work full-time, part-time, in the home, away from home, freelance, have a short commute or a long commute, you owe it to yourself to unwind in any way you feel comfortable. Everybody’s different, so what suits me may not suit you. I think that it’s important to do something, ANYTHING that helps you to cope with your day. Sure there are plenty of ideas that don’t cost much if anything at all, but whatever you choose to do, just make sure you like it, it helps you unwind and you feel better afterwards. For instance, my husband calls unwinding loading new music onto his iPod and playing on his Mac computer. OK, I’ll stick with the spa thing.

After you’ve worked a hard day, in any capacity, what do you like to do to unwind? Do you make it a habit of finding time to build that into your schedule, or do you wait (like most all of us tend to do) until you reach a critical point before you try to let your hair down?

My appointment is Wednesday, so I’ll let you know how everything went. But then again, I’m sure you’ll be able to tell by my posts how laid back, stress-free and all comfortable I’ll sound. If I can, I’ll take pictures of me relaxing.

That is, if I’m not asleep in the hot tub.

Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright