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Winter Vacations Banish the Blahs

By Sheila Cluff

          Even in sunny southern California, winter can bring on a case of the blahs.  You don’t feel like going outside in the garden—too wet.  You don’t feel like cycling on the paths—too cool.  You don’t feel like walking the trails, or along the seashore, or in the hills—too much energy required.

          So what is a body to do when the blahs take hold?  Plan a get away.  Yes, just planning a trip to a sunny shore can get you feeling more like your energetic self.

          The blahs, that is mild depression, can be a sign of a physical problem; you might want to talk with your health-care professional.  But if it’s just the ho-hum kind of blahs, then go online, and do some surfing to check out spas or other  some lush places to chase away the blues.

          I always recommend a weekend trip to a spa, but I’ve loved the spa life long before I became the owner of the Oaks at Ojai.  We all need “me time” and a spa visit can be as active or luxuriously lounging as you want to make it.  Ask friends about their favorite treatments and classes.  When you are ready to make reservations for your blah chasing mini-vacation, ask about the costs, spa attire, average age of the guests and classes and food.  Food is always on the minds of spa-goers and if you have special dietary needs, such as being lactose intolerant or a vegan let the reservationists know.

         

Here are some tips to make the best of your trip:

          *Get ready for new tastes.  You’ll be trying new foods, new ways of eating, and even not eating things, such as heavy desserts.  If you’re serious about learning to select good foods for a stronger, more youthful body, ask when you book your reservation if the spa has nutritional counseling, a nurse or advisor on staff and information that you can take back home.

          *Accept that you’re having an adventure.  Whether you go with your spouse, partner or best friend, take time to meet and mingle with the other guests.  Find out what “their story” is regarding health and exercise.  I have seen strangers become long-term spa buddies in the span of a weekend.

          *Give yourself time to relax.  Yes, pack that novel you’ve wanted to read, or re-read, don’t book your day from dawn to dusk with activities, leave your stress at the front door of the spa.  That might mean that you warn the office folks that you won’t respond to pagers, cell phones or email.  Find a replacement while you’re gone if you must.

          *Pack lightly.  Most spas are simple places of shorts, t-shirts, and swimsuits (for the pool and aqua-aerobics class).  As you make your reservation, you might want to ask if there are bathrobes, toiletries and other necessities available so you don’t have to lug your own. 

          *Ask for information from the staff.  What services are included in the spa visit?  What might you want to add on, such as working with a personal trainer?  Find out the staff members’ qualifications?  And why not ask about upcoming group discounts or if people come, such as best friends or moms and daughters.

          *Languish in luxury.  Yes, give yourself permission to have a facial, pedicure, massage or even time for a new hair style. 

        

Chasing the winter blahs is the right thing to do if you’ve found in the past that winter is your weight gain season.  For too many after the December holidays through the beginning of March, it’s a given that they’ll gain five pounds, which can easily turn to seven or ten before summer comes.

          Can’t afford a spa weekend because of the cost or time element?  You can still have lots of fun if you get creative.  Spend ten minutes right now and jot down all the things that you’d love to do for YOU.  Look at your calendar and see when you can have an hour or a weekend for yourself.  Now here is the tough part.  Check out from family and work responsibilities and do them; this might take some negotiation or bartering, but it can work.

          Now just take a YOU date.  Do something fun and free, like soaking in a bubble bath, visiting a public garden, going to a book signing or poetry reading or attending the ballet.  Rest yourself; take a nap.  Spend ten or 15 minutes deep breathing, praying or meditating to calm the stress factors in your life and chase those blahs away.

     

    Whether a spa visit is in your future or not, these simple tips will help you stay fit for life.

Sheila Cluff, fitness expert, television celebrity and owner of The Oaks at Ojai, is the author of Take 5: How You Can Benefit from Just Five Minutes of Daily Exercise and The Ultimate Recipe for Fitness by Sheila and Eleanor Brown.  Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or our e.newsletter, The Acorn!

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