Time to destress before the New Year.

Happy almost New Year!

Now that there are only a couple of days left until the end of the year, I have been thinking about how many people I know (myself included) who could benefit from a little "me" time. The truth is, any time of the year is the perfect time to pamper yourself. But now that the holiday rush is finally over, it is important now more than ever.

The holidays are almost over-- it's time to destress and prepare for the New Year. Whether you have a holiday party to attend or just need some time to yourself, consider these ideas about how to pamper yourself during the holidays.

1. Meditate

You don't have to be a certified yoga expert to realize the benefits of a little solitude. Take that much-deserved break by learning to focus your awareness and direct it onto objects like an image, a word repeated silently, or an inspirational passage. In a quiet space, sit up straight or lie down, close your eyes, and begin to relax your body as you focus on your desired object for a minimum of five minutes. You will feel instantly less inclined to focus on stressful thoughts and emotions. Here's a you tube link to one of my favorite meditations. Try it out and let me know how you feel afterwards!

2. Take a bath

One of the most cost-effective and simplistic ways of pampering yourself is to shut everyone out of the bathroom and run a bath. Run the water at a warm temperature (but not too hot as to scald your skin) and add lavender and/or vanilla scented bubble bath. Enhance the experience by brewing a cup of your favorite herbal tea and playing your favorite tunes as you soak in the tub.

3. The expert touch

If your over-worked body can't muster the strength to turn the taps on, surrender yourself to a spa treatment. The combination of holiday stress and cold weather causes lethargy, and muscles to tense up. Stress levels are high-- the perfect antidote to this is a massage. You can take advantage of our winter specials which include aromatherapy treatments. Also, our hot stone massage is great this time of year, as is our lymphatic massage.

The Power Of Acceptance.

Stress Management Strategy #4: Accept the things you can't change.

Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can't prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it's easier than railing against a situation you can't change.

One of the keys to accepting the things you can't change is to resist controlling the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control-- particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

As the saying goes, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, try reflecting on them. Looking for the upside (a lesson, perhaps) will help you learn from your mistakes.

The theologian Reinhold Niebuhr was the originator of the Serenity Prayer, which emphasizes acceptance of things that can't be changed, the courage to change the things that can be, and the wisdom to know the difference. He also encouraged patience, appreciation, and tolerance.

We can't think of anything that embodies all of the above qualities more than a gift of serenity for a friend or loved one. Have a spa party and share the experience with a group of those you trust and care about. Expressing what you're going through can be very cathartic, even if there's nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.

You can also deliver the gift of serenity with a gift certificate that the recipient can use for the services of their choice. We now have new themes for the holidays. Plus, you can save time by downloading and printing them directly from your computer.