Simple Pleasures: Incorporating Spa Moments into Your Daily Life
The new year is the perfect time for new beginnings and improved gentle self-care habits. While a spa day at Ohana Beauty & Wellness is the perfect way to unwind in style, you can incorporate spa moments into your daily life in other ways too. If you haven’t already, take this as a sign to include personal wellness in your New Year’s Resolutions for 2024!
Make your home a Sanctuary.
To begin, first deal with any clutter and disorganisation in your home. Clear out things that don’t serve you anymore and put anything unsightly away. Little things make a big difference when it comes to creating a relaxing ambiance. Light and neutral colours, plants, uplifting art, and some candles can soften any space. Having good quality linen and towels goes a long way towards feeling your best and getting proper rest. By creating a calming space at home, it becomes easier to practice gentle self-care habits in your day-to-day life.
Enjoy Long, Pampering Baths
Replace your rushed morning showers with pampering evening baths. A few small additions to your bath can transform your experience into a luxurious one! Some scented candles, bubbles, and bath salts elevate your bath so that you can soak and relax at your leisure. Adding a cup of milk to your bath restores your skin’s lost moisture, for softer and smoother skin. Epsom salt also offers plenty of health benefits. Try taking stress-relieving Epsom salt baths two or three times a week, by adding 2 cups of Ultra Epsom Salt to a warm bath and soaking for at least 12 minutes. For the added benefit of moisturising your skin, add 1/2 cup olive oil or baby oil.
Home-Made Face Masks
Make your face mask and treat your skin to some at-home TLC. Some of our favourite simple DIY face masks you can make at home include:
Milk & Honey Mask: Combine 2 tablespoons of raw honey with 2 tablespoons of nutmeg and 2 teaspoons of milk until it forms a thin paste. This mask can be applied and left on for 15 minutes and can help with acne thanks to its anti-bacterial properties.
Sugar Scrub Mask: All it takes to enjoy this wonderfully exfoliating mask is 2 tablespoons of brown sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Apply this mask to your face in soft circular motions. Leave it on for 5 minutes before rinsing off with warm water.
Matcha Green Tea Mask: Mix 1 tablespoon of matcha green tea, baking soda, and raw honey, with just enough water to form a thin paste. This mask can help reduce redness and skin irritations and also moisturises the skin. Leave on for 15 minutes before washing off.
Calming Exercises
While creating a calming space at home allows you to plan your downtime, you may experience anxiety when you’re out and about. If you’re feeling stressed, here is a short and effective breathing exercise to help you calm down wherever you are. Making this a part of your gentle self-care habits is a great way to start each day off on a good note.
First, make yourself as comfortable as possible. You can do this in any position and should always place your feet apart (about hip-width). If you’re sitting or standing, place your feet flat on the ground. If you’re lying down, lie with your palms facing up and let your legs be straight, or put your knees up so that your feet are flat on the ground .
1) Take deep breaths into your stomach. Try inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth, keeping your shoulders relaxed.
2) Breathe in regularly and gently, without distraction. You can close your eyes, turn off the lights, or stand outside, whatever works best for you.
3) Count from 1 to 5 with each breath (you may only make it to 3 or 4), and let your breath flow out gently, releasing negative energy.
4) Keep breathing this way for at least 5 minutes.
You can also try box breathing (sometimes referred to as four-square breathing). This involves exhaling to the count of four, and then holding your lungs empty to the count of 4. Then, inhale to the count of four, hold the air in your lungs to the count of four, exhale, and repeat.
Prioritise your wellness and make this the year of positivity, health, and happiness! By making time for gentle self-care habits, you will start feeling better. If you’re creating a calming space at home, think about what brings you joy and what helps you to calm down.