Little Peaces blog

Ah, a Spa

It's not cheap, that's true. It's also not an everyday experience. Let's face it. If it was, we'd get complacent. My wonderful spa day last week felt a little bit like Christmas if I'm honest. That was possibly because it was a Christmas and Birthday present rolled into one x3 between my Sister and I. We received impeccable service from the start and it was worth every penny. I really think mini spa days once every few months on the NHS (if they could afford it) would drastically improve general wellbeing. Here's my little response to the day's activities. As this isn't a review as such, I am not naming the spa. You can get all of this things at any good spa.

Floatation

This was my first experience and definitely won't be my last. Lots of salty water, moody lighting, cushions and soft music. Oh and it's warm. An opportunity to feel completely weightless. I chose to use this as a mindfulness exercise too, when I was conscious.

Massage

Wonderful if you're a knotty or tense person (I'm both.) I had a lava shell back, neck and scalp massage this time. If you get one of these early in the day, there's the added benefit of feeling less stiff for the duration.

Loungers

Just sitting by a pool on a plastic recliner or a heated lounger in a dark room has such a calming effect. This is something we could totally recreate at home with a bit of creativity.

Pools

So many to choose from. Inside/outside, quiet/less quiet, hydrotherapy, deep sea salt, funky lighting. If too much choice leaves you feeling overwhelmed I'd suggest trying them all out for a few minutes a time and then picking your favourite. Or you could just go to the first one you see and stay there. The best thing about a spa day is you get to decide where and how you spend it.

Sauna

For me, this has most benefit just after a trip in the water. You can feel the water trickling off your body as you dry. This one was a little too hot though unfortunately and I could only sit for 5 minutes at a time. Perhaps a good thing in the long run or my internal organs would be fried!

Outside

Being so warm outside last week, the steam coming off the little whirlpools was atmospheric. It could have also been the October mist... There were some hot tubs - wonderful when you're in them but very cold when you get out.

Connection with yourself and/or companion

There are so many excuses for self-care here. The actual experiences were very sensory. You can also have a read or a nap, do a crossword puzzle etc. The food is nice and healthy. There's also lots of time for life, the universe and everything type conversations. Generally most people are in a good mood because it's their choice to be there.

Spas aren't for everyone but if they're for you, where can you find time and money to treat yourself to this divine experience?

Wear for Wellbeing

When we wear an outfit that's comfortable, both in materials and who we are, we are bound to feel good. Below are some ideas.

Comfort

I don't know about you but I've definitely reached an age where it's comfort over fashion. Not that I ever really followed fashion before. I've recently ditched full on jeans in favour of j/leggings that don't dig into me constantly. Do your clothes fit you properly? Are your shoes going to last the day and support your feet?

Expression

Since I was a teenager, I've had slogan tops and pictures on my clothing that reflect 'me'. Now they are effective work wear too, with words like 'welcome every day with positive energy and vibes.' Perhaps a certain t-shirt makes you laugh or evokes a lovely memory. What do your socks say about you? Do you know which colours suit you best?

Seasonal

Speaking of colours, Autumn is my favourite season for this reason. So many vibrant shades outside. We can feel at one with nature by reflecting them. My orange skirt (pictured) was bought from a charity shop and doubles up as a Halloween outfit. Result!

Warmth

We're coming into the colder months and energy prices continue to rise. Out come the hats, scarves, gloves and huge woolly jumpers. An ex colleague introduced me to Primark's super cosy tights over a decade ago. They are incredible. Not only do they last longer than the average pair of tights but they're fleece-lined! If you're a lizard like me - I hope you'll instantly feel happier when you're warmer.

Dressing up

Do you enjoy fancy dress parties at this time of year, or any time of year? Getting creative with a character can take us out of our heads for a bit. Even better if we make our own costumes. It's heaps of fun and we focus on the task at hand.

Unseen or seen underwear

I say no more...

Not just clothes

There are so many other things we can wear to boost our feel good factor. Decorative items and colours in our hair, jewellery, make up (especially if it makes skin feel good too), nail varnish. etc. There are also the scents we carry around with us - i.e perfume or essential oils. (Yes I snuck them in.)

Of course, the best thing we can wear to make us feel good is A SMILE.

Uplifting Poem: Kindness (by Nikita Gill)

I stumbled across this lovely poem earlier this week and wanted to share it. It feels so relevant right now, and pretty much any time really!

I believe we can learn kindness quickly in adverse conditions. Isn't it better to give our love and time to others rather than feel helpless or lost in our own negative thoughts? It can really boost our sense of wellbeing to connect to others in a positive way.

There's so much going on in the world right now. Our common humanity, for the majority of us, is something we can cling on to. At least we still have that. Hardships often make us realise what's important in life. In this way we can put our grievances aside. They say 'a problem shared is a problem halved,' which resonates with me. We are always stronger together.

I'm probably repeating myself a bit here from a recent post on tribes. Personally, I can't emphasise the importance of kindness enough. Plus our brains love repetition! :-)

How we remember them

As UK residents and many others around the world mourn our Queen this week, it makes me want to explore how we commemorate someone we've lost in general.

Of course, a lot will depend on what the person meant to us and others. We might look through items they once owned and keep them close (both the items and the person!) In planning a funeral or celebration of their life, we think about their favourite songs or hymns. I remember my Gran insisting we played David Essex's 'A Winter's Tale' to see her out, no matter what time of year it was. Some form of eulogy often reveals things we didn't know. A reminder of special sayings or mannerisms. We might scatter ashes in a beloved location or make sure a final resting place is with significant others. One thing we've done for centuries and across cultures is lay flowers. It's been very moving seeing pictures of all the beautiful bouquets decorating London and Windsor over the last fortnight.

Collective grief brings people closer together. Such public events to honour the Queen have had a lovely way of improving connection in what can be a very disconnected world. We can share stories and silence in reflection. But we can also have our own private time for tribute, visiting a grave or lighting a candle.

There are so many other ways and even if I knew them all, I couldn't possibly list here. There's also no set instructions on how to remember someone. It's so important we do it in the way that feels right for us.

Tribes

Although we don't live in tribes in the same way as we used to in the cave man days, they are still vital for our wellbeing. That sense of connection and community is very much needed to release our happy chemicals. Something we may have been deprived of during the pandemic.

A tribe can mean something different to everyone and we can have many. It might be our family, a group of friends, colleagues, or people we share similar interests with. I'm lucky to belong to several tribes, and some are very small, only appear once a month (writers group), or year (Swanwick). Others have been there on and off my whole life (friends and family.)

I was reminded today when I visited old friends/colleagues after a networking event in the town I used to work. We can drift in and out of touch with people as we move on, into different life stages but the bond is still there. It doesn't mean we no longer have an alliance with them. I found myself reverting back to the collective 'we' on many occasions - us against the world.

I loved the TV series from New Zealand as a teenager (pictured above). The children form their own tribes when a virus wipes out all the adults. (Not so science fiction/ post apocalyptic now!) They dressed up in vibrant outfits and decorated themselves in wonderful forms of self expression. Most importantly, like any good show, it was about the relationships between the characters and how they found a sense of purpose and belonging in an uncertain world. That to me is a powerful message both then and now, and any time really. It's together we can make it through the tough times.

You might like to think about the tribes you have in your life, or the ones you'd like to have. How do they help you?