Ask the Experts

Soothing Soaks

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I like to think of myself as a pretty practical person, and I’m certainly not someone who is obsessed with skin-deep beauty stuff or girly-girl things. But I have a secret: I love going to the spa. Most of my friends would never guess, but I go at least once a semester (by myself, or with my mother when she is visiting). Maybe it’s all in my head, but I think it helps me focus more and perform better in school when I’ve had a nice break in the spa. Is that possible? It would be nice to tell my friends that I’m hitting the spa for health reasons. I know it shouldn’t matter, but my friends and I are just not really the sort of people you’d expect to see in a spa, and I think they’d think I was spoiled or something if they found out and I didn’t have a good way to explain it.

For someone who denies being concerned with “skin-deep” appearances, you sure seem worried about what your friends might think! Relax, lots of people go to the spa; and true friends won’t begrudge you a little pampering from time to time, no matter what your campus persona is like. Surround yourself with people who will like you for you– and remember that the friends you have now may well be those people, but that you won’t know until you are honest with them!

You did ask for some expert input, though, so while you shouldn’t have to argue about your own hobbies with your friends, it won’t hurt to provide you with some good news about your spa days.

Spas may be associated with beauty and relaxation (and rightly so), but they also make heavy use of some things that we’re used to seeing in physical therapy centers. Massages, warm dips in hot tubs, and other parts of the spa experience that are aimed at your body and muscles are proven to have medical benefits. Take massage, which wellness counselors say reduces everything from physical pain to stress. Or take that other “spa”–the hot tub–which helps aching joints and encourages healing in injuries for the simple reason that heat does this on its own (water jets and bubbles are nice, though). The developers at Monarch Pools and Spas told us that hot tubs are popular among workers whose jobs involve physical labor for precisely this reason.

And don’t ignore the mental benefits of a spa day, either, the pros at Riverwalk Place reminded us. A relaxing day at the spa can help you come back recharged. Taking time off is proven to recharge and refocus us, so there’s a reason that you feel more ready to focus on school after your spa days. Spa visits may even help ward off dementia! So the benefits of your spa day may be in your head, but not in the way you think; your brain is recharged, but you’re not imagining it.

So enjoy that spa day–it’s good for you! And remember that you don’t have to justify your own hobbies to anyone, just as long as they’re not hurting you or anyone else. Since a spa day is actively helping you, it’s safe to say that it’s a habit worth indulging.

“It’s a good idea always to do something relaxing prior to making an important decision in your life.” — Paulo Coelho

Nancy Pearson is the President of Nancy Pearson Design.

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Trailblazer

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New internet start-ups are dominated by men, which makes me hesitant to work on my idea. Why are there so few women entrepreneurs?

While your observation is correct, the good news is that female entrepreneurship is on the rise. Our culture is growing more robust with enterprising women equipped with knowledge, inspiration, creativity and funding. The rate of women entrepreneurs has been increasing at a percentage at least double that of males. But the gender composition of our culture’s most influential leaders indicates that there is still a way to go. Differences among the genders in terms of work experience, resources, deep-rooted biases, and social ties are a few of the issues that you need to overcome.