Today I used a voucher I had been given in July and had a massage and a facial. This truly was me time. My phone was turned to silent and was in my bag which was not near me. Therefore I could not be contacted and had nothing else that needed to be done for the hour and a half I was there. This is very rare in my life and I would say this is true for the majority of parents out there.

I have written before about my strong connection to music – how I attach it to memories and how it can adjust my mood. So when I walked into the treatment room and lay down they had top 40 music playing quite loudly. This worried me slightly as it certainly wasn’t setting the scene. However as I had been there numerous times I knew this wasn’t standard. Just prior to staring the massage the music changed to calming instrumental music and I felt myself instantly calm.

This was also a great opportunity to practice my mindfulness and engage my senses.

• Smells – each lotion or oil she used had a different intoxicating and calming fragrance.

• Sounds – the sound of the water running or being squeezed out of cloths, the jars being opened and lotions squeezed out of bottles.

• Touch – the feeling of her hands giving the massage and facial, the soft blanket placed over me in comparison to the slightly rougher towels.

Unlike other times I did not drift off to sleep but I was truly relaxed and in the moment. And when I left it felt amazing as the relaxed feeling continued well after leaving and going home.

So I truly recommend this for anyone who is stressed or wanting to practice their mindfulness. As always I walked out vowing to do this more often. However unlike other times i will try and give this some priority or at least give some more priority to my self care. Self care comes in many forms…..and this was a great one.

• Self-Care