I truly believe that everyone deserves (and needs) a little bit of time to themselves here and there. And for that reason have always made it a priority to have a little bit of “me” time. Some of you might pamper yourselves by going to the spa, hitting up the mall or taking a mini vacation for the weekend but I have developed a little routine for myself that helps me relax and feel at peace.
One of my first purchases while redecorating my place was from Balta, a store that has been in my local shopping mall – the Oshawa Centre forever. This store carries some authentic hand-crafted artisan goods that are to die for. I purchased a Himalayan salt lamp on sale from the store after looking around and discovering that there are actually a large number of knock-off salt lamps on the market. When in use this lamp creates a refreshing, calm, tranquil atmosphere. The lamp naturally purifies and improves air quality by releasing negative ions into the surrounding space.
Another product to use to aid your relaxation is an oil diffuser. I purchased the Aroma Cloud from Saje Natural Wellness, which is also in the Oshawa Centre for about $70. All of their diffusers will turn off automatically once the water in the reservoir reaches a certain level, the ultrasonic diffuser. You add about 10 drops of any of their oils to the reservoir and soon enough you will smell and feel the effects of whichever you decided to use. They offer a huge variety of oils to help with natural healing.
Ever since I was a kid I have been obsessed with soaking my feet in hot water. I’d do this after playing soccer, after standing on my feet for a long time or just for something to do. I fill up a plastic bin with pretty hot water and then I add Epsom salts and either bubbles or an essential oil to the water.
While I am no doctor, I have read that soaking your feet in Epsom salts helps to:
- Flush out toxins
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Relieve muscle aches, pain, and cramping
- Eliminates odours
- Treat foot fungus (I hope I never encounter foot fungus)
- Regulate blood sugar
Another must try while pampering yourself is a face mask. When I first started to use face masks, I used the little packets from Walmart or Shoppers Drug Mart but I quickly realized I was playing some type of roulette game with myself. Some masks were great, while others I used left me a bit concerned. Two minutes after using a mask you really shouldn’t feel like your skin is melting off, or that you just dunked inside a deep fryer. To this day I am still unsure why sometimes I would react to these products, but it also happened to a couple friends of mine.. so now I pretty much only use LUSH face masks. I would suggest their fresh face masks, but you need to keep in mind that they expire and that they need to be kept refrigerated. Currently, I am using their Cup o’ Coffee mask. This doesn’t need to be refrigerated but does expire after two/three months. You can even use this on your body for the softest skin.
So there it is. Get the diffuser going, put the lamp on and run the water for a foot bath while covering your face with a mask and then just relax. The hardest part for me is sitting there, relaxing and being tempted to get up and do something but just try to focus on yourself for once!
