Article contributed by Conrad & Janet Hunter, Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa of Mooresville

Post-Covid life means virtual home offices, homeschooling, information overload from multiple social media sites, not to mention remembering to shower and to change out of your night pajamas into your day pajamas, plus trying to maintain some sort of social life for yourself and your children while social distancing. Little stressful, huh?

Having so many balls in the air can negatively affect not only your physical body but your mental health as well, causing problems such as lack of concentration, poor sleep, anxiety, and even depression. What’s more, these mental health issues can show up in physical ways, including muscle pain and inflammation, headaches, cardiovascular problems, and other chronic health issues. Because the hormones that your body releases when you feel stress can negatively impact your skin, anxiety and tension can also show on your face.

Fortunately, a spa day offers a fantastic way to release that accumulated stress. In fact, a few hours at the spa is just as beneficial as spending time at the gym because when you combine aesthetic treatments with relaxation therapy, you receive the same results as a workout: a healthier mind and body.

A good way to start is with a facial. Most folks know that a body massage is a great way to relieve stress, but a facial treatment, which typically includes facial massage, significantly decreases anxiety and negative mood and increases sympathetic nervous activity as well. In doing so, it also provides the strong, beneficial effects of stress alleviation and psychological relaxation.

Massage and facial treatments also promote better sleep, which is essential to your overall health. They do this by relaxing your muscles and lowering your blood pressure, which helps you to maintain a healthy heart rate. Other benefits of massage and facial treatments include improvement of blood circulation, prevention of varicose veins, decrease in the frequency of headaches, mood improvement, better weight loss results, and an overall healthier look.

With the pandemic still unfolding, self-care is more essential than ever. So what are you waiting for?  You deserve to be pampered! Call Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa in Mooresville (631 Brawley School Rd., Ste. 200; 704-800-5535; www.handandstonemooresville.com), where you’ll find a full complement of specialty facials, massages, and enhancements.