Spas = Stress Reduction
Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

How I wish that more people would see the connection between spas and stress reduction. Hopefully, as an industry, we can help more people make this connection. Clearly, this is “our moment.”

Stress is at an all-time high. Spas reduce stress. Most people who have been to a spa (25 percent of the U.S. population) would agree with those statements. What our industry needs to do now is help those who haven’t ever been to a spa (approximately 75 percent of the U.S. population), understand how spas teach stress reduction, and then we need to remind the 25 percent who are spa-goers of the tangible benefits.

In addition to communicating this effort as a marketing message (however unsexy it is), one thing that I think would help is if more people who work in our spa and wellness industry truly understood which (and why) various treatments and programs we offer at spas reduce stress: Exercise, breathing, warm baths, massage, mindfulness, meditation, a social community, etc. Knowing just a bit about the body’s physiological changes that occur when someone is stressed, and how to mitigate those, would not only help us teach our guests, but we would also benefit personally. This knowledge includes an understanding of the “fight or flight” hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, their negative effects on our body, and how to elicit the relaxation response.

For a short, “to the point” refresher, check out this great article which was in the LA Times Health section Monday (photo credit: LA Times):

Stress Reduction: Why you Need to get a Grip and How

Stress Explained

Ways to Relieve Stress

(By the way, the LA Times has a section in their paper every Monday called Health. It is actually one of the things I miss about living on the West Coast where I read the LA Times daily rather than the NY Times which I read now. To have the Health newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday, register for an LA Times account and customize your e-mail newsletters. It’s one way to know what is “top of mind” on the West Coast – where trends often begin.)

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