Everyone deserves a little self-care. Whether you're able to go to a health club for a spa day now the facilities are open, you enjoy a long, relaxing bath, or you just like making time to relax with a good book, pampering yourself is very important . Now, there's more reason than ever to carve out a little pocket of "you time" now and again: self-pampering can act as a buffer against depression.
A study, conducted by researchers from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, found self-pampering can alleviate psychological burden. The research looked at the differential effect of pampering on depression in a group of different women.
The study found, generally, women who did not use pampering were more depressed than women who used pampering. This was true amongst single women, married women, childless women and mothers.
The study's authors wrote: "This study highlights the importance of self-pampering as a buffer against depression. Given the rising prevalence of depression today, it is essential to explore the potential of minimal interventions."
Given today's Wellness Week theme – therapy Thursday – it's a clear marker that being self-indulgent for an afternoon or evening has a combative effect against depression.
A large study is reporting cases of depression tripling under the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. As more of us stay home, communicating via video call, it can feel isolating and vulnerable. It's more important than ever we engage in self-pampering, no matter our age, gender or responsibilities.
Not sure where to start? Here's a list of ideas you can use to kick-start your well-deserved treat yourself time.
- Run a hot bath with soothing muscle soak bath salts
- Indulge in a skincare routine with our dry skin fixes
- Meditate for just two minutes (check out our How to Meditate guide)
- Go to bed early (check out our simple tips for falling asleep)
- Scentscaping, using flowers and herbs to help ease you into mindfulness
- Go to the spa! Book a hot stone treatment or massage, if your nearest venue is open and COVID-secure.
Liked this? Check out more Wellness Week content below:
- Elliptical machine benefits: 5 reasons cross trainers are a great workout
- Best posture exercises: how to improve hunched shoulders and achieve natural alignment
- 3 fat-burning rowing machine workouts for beginners through to advanced
- 3 elliptical machine workouts for every fitness level
- Best workout music: the top 100 songs to power your sweat session
- Ab roller workout
Wellness Week on Fit&Well
Wellness Week is brought to you in association with Wiggle. Each day this week, we'll help you accelerate your wellness journey by making improvements across areas including fitness, diet and nutrition, mindfulness and more.
Matt Evans is an experienced health and fitness journalist and Channel Editor at Fit&Well. He's previously written for titles like Men's Health and Red Bull, and covers all things exercise and nutrition on the Fit&Well website.
Matt originally discovered exercise through martial arts: he holds a black belt in Karate and remains a keen kickboxer and runner. His top fitness tip? Stretch.
-
-
How eating more healthy fats helped Gordon Ramsay drop 50lbs
Weight Loss Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay made small diet and lifestyle changes to see big and lasting results
By Jessica Downey •
-
Can intermittent fasting prevent (or reverse) diabetes and heart disease?
Nutrition Intermittent fasting could be the answer to the obesity crisis– but does this foster unhealthy relationships with food?
By Matt Evans •
-
When should I work out for better sleep – morning, evening or night?
Sleep The best time to work out for better bedrest revealed by science – plus more ways to improve your sleep
By Matt Evans •
-
Want better sleep? Eat healthy and quit drinking, says a new study
Sleep Abandoning alcohol and improving your diet can boost the quality of your sleep. Here's how
By Matt Evans •
-
Always snacking? It could be down to how you sleep, study finds
Sleep If you struggle to maintain your snacking habits then it might be time to think about how much sleep you are getting
By Jessica Downey •
-
Could this new 10-minute ASMR video help you sleep better? Here's how it works
Mindfulness If you're struggling to get high-quality shuteye, this short video might well do the trick
By James Frew •
-
Whoop CEO Will Ahmed's morning routine: Exercise, cold showers and more
Health Top tips on building a better lifestyle into your everyday from a fitness tracker founder
By Jessica Downey •
-
Three quick tips to sleep better tonight: Ditch your phone, work out, get comfy
Sleep As US and UK cities top the world's worst place for sleep, we find some quick sleep hacks
By Jessica Downey •
-
It takes more than a strong coffee to overcome sleep deprivation - here's why
Health It can take over a week to recover from a lack of sleep, so it's best to focus on getting high-quality shuteye
By James Frew •
-
Severe sleep disorder linked to how much exercise you do
Sleep Maintaining an active lifestyle and avoiding too much TV time could put you at less risk of developing the sleep disorder obstructive sleep apnea
By Jessica Downey •
