This Holiday Season, Find Your Happy Place
What is supposed to be a joyous time spent reconnecting with family and friends often turns into a whirlwind of menu planning, late night parties, and mad dashes for those last few presents. The revelry, of course, isn’t a bad thing. But the chaos can take its toll on your body—and your stress levels. So this holiday season, make it a point to set aside some time for yourself.
When I lived in New York City, I always scheduled a post-Christmas shopping water circuit at Great Jones Spa ($50, three hours). After a day of lugging heavy bags, it felt so good to soak in the 100-degree Jacuzzi and strategically position my aching back on the water jet. That water lounge was my happy place—a calming retreat where I could forget about everything I had to do, even for just a little while. (Now that I live in the East Bay, my new happy place is Piedmont Springs, where I can soak in an outdoor hot tub and stare at the stars for a mere $15 an hour.)
Your happy place doesn’t have to involve hot tubs or water jets, but it should be somewhere quiet that you can escape to easily. We spend most of the holidays giving gifts to others, it seems only fair to give some peace to ourselves.
—Maria Wakem, senior editor
Image: Great Jones Spa
