Happy new year everyone! A new decade has begun and with that, I’ve decided to take my blog to a more personal level. I want to delve more into the importance of self-care in all aspects of your life because at the end of the day, the one person you need to take care of the most is always yourself. I’ve written many posts on fashion, beauty and travel for the past 2 years but I’ve always loved blogging about my love of the spa the most.

I had my first spa experience three years ago at Scandinave Spa in Blue Mountain and I haven’t slowed down since. Last year alone, I visited a spa facility 6 times; it’s the ultimate form of luxury and relaxation for me. However, the main reason why I love it so much is because it’s the only place where I can leave behind my anxiety. Having dealt with anxiety for the past few years now, I’m always looking for ways to keep an active lifestyle but sometimes being in complete silence with yourself is where I find the most clarity in my life.

 

I did a post on Touchstone Spa in Muskoka last year and raved about how much I loved it. The pictures in this post will be from my second visit to the facilities last summer (I said I would come back!). It might just be the most tranquil place I’ve ever been that allows me to unplug and actually think. I feel like there should be a special place like this for everyone to go to when they’re looking for some peace in their lives. Here are 5 reasons why self-care is so important for your mental health and how my spa visits have helped me to relax and recharge.

 

1. Taking time out helps you to reflect and improves self-awareness.

I’ve been talking a lot about self-care for 2019 and that’s because, personally it was one of the hardest years for me. I was going through a mountain of emotions with self-esteem issues as well as experiencing a setback job-wise and then having lost my grandma and aunt in the same year, it felt like everything was falling down like a domino effect. However, while I did struggle a lot emotionally, I was always distracting myself from the feelings or dealt with them in unhealthy ways that didn’t exactly make me feel any better in the end.

It’s only when I got away from the craziness that is life for a bit, such as visiting Touchstone that I got a moment to actually take it all in. Just being in nature in general is a nice way to reflect on the simplicities of life and be in touch with what’s really going on internally. It’s true that when you tune out, you feel more grateful for what you have instead of focusing on things you can’t control. My therapist once told that when you’re feeling depressed, you need to start listing all the things you’re grateful for. I definitely feel grateful that I have friends to travel with to a place as beautiful as Muskoka – even better when it’s a spa getaway. 

 

2. Adopting a me first attitude creates self-love.

Anyone who’s dealt with anxiety and depression can confirm that being mentally stressed takes its physical toll on your body after awhile. Many times it has to do with the fact that you’re not doing what’s best for yourself and more focused on the things and people around you. I know that I feel that a lot as a blogger; I’m constantly racking my brain trying to create content that I sometimes forget to put myself first.

Having struggled a lot with self-love, sometimes doing a mini-getaway to cottage country is exactly what I need to rebuild that confidence back up. I decided to plan a summer getaway to Touchstone so that everyone could enjoy the beauty of this spa resort with me. Sometimes planning an event that centers around your own interests is the best kind of self-care there is. Everyone knows by now how obsessed I am with the spa and finding close friends to share in that experience definitely brings me happiness.

 

3. Everyone needs to recharge once in awhile or they’ll burn out.

I work in a very fast paced environment that’s physically draining as well as mentally exhausting. At times, I do feel like I’m going to burn out. When I visited Touchstone Spa in the summer, I booked myself a body wrap treatment – everyone else booked massages. It was my first time trying it and though I wouldn’t say it tops a massage, it did wonders to replenish moisture to my dry skin. It made my legs buttery smooth, which I loved and was a great way to indulge for the weekend. After that, we all just chilled in the stunning infinity pool and relaxed in the outdoor hot tub.

If you’re ever looking for ways to recharge, make time to indulge in any way possible. It could be reading your favourite book in an empty coffee shop or finally going to see your favourite band in concert. For me, I love getting out in nature and if that includes an outdoor hot tub, even better. However, even though I love my spa time, self-care goes beyond just sitting by a pool. It’s actually taking time out to do something for you and only you. Make sure whatever you choose to do in your free time, it recharges you enough to take on the week ahead.

 

4. Your relationship with yourself sets the stage for all the other ones that follow.

Like I mentioned before, having dealt with self-esteem issues, it made me realize how important the relationship with yourself is. Having relied so heavily on the love and validation of others for so long, it’s true what they say – you can’t love someone else before you love yourself. Having been in two long-term relationships in my life, I’m only starting to see how the love for yourself attracts the company you keep. Self-care is all about embracing yourself and not lowering your standards to satisfy someone else’s needs before your own.

When you begin to see that there’s nothing wrong with going after the things you want, you’ll also attract like-minded people who have the same interests as you do. Years ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed that I could gather up a group of friends to do spa weekends with but the more self-love I’ve gained over the years, the more I’ve contributed to self-care overall. Remember, self-love builds courage and courage will always lead to a stronger sense of self-worth. Always remember to love yourself before anyone else – that’s the best self-care you could ever do for your mental well-being.

 

5. Doing what makes you happy is the key to keeping a healthy mind, body and spirit.

When it comes down to it, the highest form of self-care is doing what makes you happy. They say the cure for depression is finding a purpose; if you find a purpose happiness will follow. Truth be told, the real reason why I started this blog in the first place is because at the time I was going through a period of intense anxiety on top of insomnia. It was probably the hardest times I’d ever gone through.

After months of feeling mentally drained, one of my best friends advised that I needed to find a purpose. As I survived more sleepless nights, my purpose just came to me one night. I needed to start my own blog and that would be my purpose. I knew that would bring me some form of happiness, even if I just attempted it. It hasn’t been an easy road with feelings of self-doubt always creeping in and the constant need to always appear happy. However, when I take time out to really enjoy life such as having fun on this beautiful Muskoka lakefront (pictured above), it all makes it feel worth it.

Wearing: Two-piece set from Urban Outfitters

 

Sometimes I do things to create content and then there’s times when I visit places like Touchstone because it just makes me happy. If I get a blog post out of it, that’s an added bonus but life shouldn’t always be curated. Sometimes it’s whatever happens that people connect the most with and that’s what self-care is all about. Feed your soul and ultimately, your mental health will be at its most peaceful state. That’s what I try to do every time I visit a spot as serene as beautiful Muskoka. Life is short, take that trip sis! You can see more photos from my spa getaway down below! Peek what my happy state looks like.

 

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Touchstone Resort on Lake Muskoka

1869 Muskoka District Road 118 West
Bracebridge, ON P1L 1W8

www.touchstoneresort.com