Spas are an amazing source of inspiration for managing stress

April is Stress Awareness Month, and as a spa business stress is a regular topic of discussion because we're in the industry of helping to soothe stress. Nonetheless, it seems that even though we're more aware of it than ever, we're also, collectively, more stressed than ever, and my hope is that I can encourage you to take a little time for, and give yourself licence to breathe for a while this month.

The definition of stress

We talk about stress a lot, but defining what it means is tricky because a little stress is actually good for us. On a general note, The World Health Organisation says:

"Stress can be defined as a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. Everyone experiences stress to some degree. The way we respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to our overall wellbeing."

There's good stress, like the kind that motivates us and feels like excitement, perhaps the kind that challenges us to achieve our goals. Then there's the bad kind of stress, which most of us are more familiar with. The British Psychological Society writes:

"The bad form of stress manifests itself in physical and emotional effects such as headaches, fatigue, alcoholism, smoking, irritability and chronic muscle pain. When stress becomes bad it creates tension and you may not be able to handle the situations at hand and at times, in the absence of the stressor, you are unable to return to a relaxed state. Whereas good stress provides an opportunity for creativity and growth, bad stress reduces productivity and creativity."

Stressful statistics

The numbers when it comes to stress never fail to amaze me. Defining a 'normal' level is hard, but it seems to me that our personal and collective barometers for what's normal have become so burned out that none of us really know where that line is any more. As a frame of reference, the Priory Group's 2025 stats and facts write:

"74% of adults have felt so stressed at some point over the past year that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope, and other statistics and facts about stress."

It's not just the stress itself, but the lack of support around it that's the problem, leading to unhealthy coping mechanisms, which only make it worse. For example, the Priory Group writes that:

• 46% of people eat too much/unhealthily due to stress
• 60% of adults drink alcohol to cope with stress
• 88% of people think about work outside of working hours

Of the causes of stress, work, workload, and financial worries were the headline features.

The impact of stress

What's often underestimated about stress is the impact it has. We know if we're feeling particularly stressed at any given moment, and that might make us feel anxious, or irritable, but the long-term impact on mind and body can be much more problematic. Aside from anything else, it reduces our enjoyment of daily life.

You can discover a whole world of health problems that result from stress. The Mayo Clinic details physical effects from headaches to chest pain and an upset stomach, while mood changes range from anxiety to anger, and behaviourally it can lead to seclusion, and self-medicating with drugs, alcohol and food.

Meanwhile, long-term or chronic stress can be linked to a wealth of issues from heart disease to, hormonal, gut, and muscular skeletal problems according to the American Psychological Association, amongst other eminent bodies.

How spas can help us navigate stress

So far, such depressing reading, and more than likely it is information that you already have. So, why am I going into it all? Well, as I said, this month is Stress Awareness Month, and while we never need an excuse to take care of ourselves, sometimes we do need a reminder, and maybe even someone to tell us it's ok to put ourselves first for a minute.

There are lots of ways to handle stress, and to some extent finding what works for you is personal. However, spas are a great place to rest, reset, and maybe get a few ideas that you can take home with you as well. For my own part, despite having been in this business for more than 20 years, it never fails to surprise me just how much a massage helps me to let go, or how much the time away from my phone in a beautiful environment eases the mind.

Spas always give me little ideas I can take home with me to help enhance each day. That might be realising a newfound love for a particular aromatherapy candle, or something much more specific like learning about what my body needs from a clever team like the one at SENSORY Wellbeing at Pan Pacific London, where their high-tech spa offering includes an amazing Body Assessment and unique TecnoBody® D-Wall, which provides an in-depth analysis of heart, lung, muscular and neuromuscular function in real time.

While we all know that a massage is an amazing experience, it does also have a measurable impact on the body, helping to mediate against the impact of stress, and research is showing that with more empirical evidence. If you're interested to find out more, I loved reading an article from The American Massage Therapy Association called The Science of Stress, which cites a wide variety of studies, including a wonderful line referencing Dr. Emmons, an integrative psychiatrist, which completely aligns with my experiences, saying:

"The body may be able to influence the mind. 'Stress is a temporary physical response, but we keep it alive through thinking,' Emmons explains. 'If you can get the body to stand down from its state of emergency, the mind often follows.'"

My fundamental point is this - stress is an unavoidable part of life, but there are lots of options out there to help us manage it well. For what it's worth, I have found spas to be a rich source of inspiration. Why not try it for yourself?