This post is dedicated to the pursuit of keeping yourself sain during coronavirus quarantine with a wellness retreat. After exhaustive research into a wellness retreat and looking at the budget to see if I could afford one I realized that with a bit of prep I could host one right in my own home for a fraction of the cost. Whether you’re by yourself, with a friend or a partner I promise you by the end of the 24-hours you will feel so relaxed. You might be in shock that you can obtain this level of bliss in your D.I.Y. wellness retreat.
Important note: With any facial product plugs, there should be a note about what type of skin the product is recommended for. Everything I suggest is items I have tested myself, therefore they are meant for acne-prone dry skin with no wrinkles. I had originally believed that I must have oily skin because I had acne, so I used drying products on my whole face. When I saw a skilled facialist she informed me that I had dry skin, so I completely switched up my routine.
In the winter I use a very gentle cleanser from Clinique, hyaluranic acid, vitamin c serum under-eye cream from Kiehl’s and a facial scrub from Acure once a week. When I’m in a warmer climate with more humidity I have to change up my skin routine because these products are too heavy. I do however use the same argan oil tinted SPF from Josie Maran all year round. I have seen tremendous improvement in my skin, which has cut down on my makeup use and helped save me time and money.
If you can at least go see a facialist once who can access your skin type I would highly recommend it. I go to Kur skin lab in NYC, which I really love. I’m not receiving any money to talk about these products or places they’re just things I genuinely love and have found a lot of success with.
Tools:
Lavender Essential Oil
Probiotic
Pan
A Good Book
A great moisturizer
The Menu
Breakfast: Enjoy Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal and GP’s Warming Morning Latte
Lunch: Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas
Dinner: Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili by goop
Drink all day: Ginger Spice
The Night Before
For the purposes of this weekend wellness retreat declutter your home to allow yourself to focus on your health. For anyone interested in the psychology of a messy room and the advantages and disadvantages I’ve attached an article from Verywellmind.com.
Make sure to head to bed early the night before to focus on helping your body heal.
Head to bed screen-free, the blue light can affect your sleep. Tests have shown that even having your phone in your room can affect your sleep quality. Trust me, I tried it and I was shocked at how much better I slept even though I leave my phone on silent. Head to bed with a good book or a nighttime story through the Calm app.
To maximize your restorative sleep equip your room with a humidifier and an essential oil diffuser with Lavender which can feel incredibly luxurious.
Morning
Wake up early, at least by 8, and make your bed. I’ve gotten into the habit of making my bed every day and it truly helps my mind feel more relaxed throughout the day and this is coming from a former slob.
Resist the urge to check your phone for at minimum the first hour. If you can, try and go tech-free for one day. I only found the incredible benefits of this after a trip to Italy, in which I had no other option because there was absolutely no cell phone reception. Turns out, I was addicted, which is not something I would have thought prior to this trip.
Start your wellness retreat day with a probiotic and an 8oz glass of room temperature water the minute you wake up. Keeping your water room temp or even warm will help aid in digestion, and sleep is super dehydrating so it will help your body come back to life.
Probiotics are fantastic for your health. If you don’t already have one in your daily routine do a bit of research and pick the one that’s perfect for you as they vary greatly in benefits.
If you can’t imagine a morning without caffeine attempt black tea with lemon instead of coffee which can be very acidic and cause inflammation in the body.
Head straight for a sunlit room to help your body wake up. If you can, try to get outside for around 8-15 minutes, depending on your skin tone, to soak up the necessary amount of vitamin D you’ll need for the day. Windows block the type of rays you need for your body to create Vitamin D.
Find a room with a large amount of space to spread out in for an online workout class. Try to remain active for at least 30 minutes but aim for 60. Use YouTube to look up a Zumba, yoga or an at-home strength course. This is one great reason to use technology.
Breakfast: Enjoy Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal and GP’s Warming Morning Latte From Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Detox recipes, they’re seriously delish.
Post-Breakfast
Aim for a 20-minute guided meditation, try to catch a free 21-Day Meditation Experience hosted by Oprah and Deepak Chopra.
Follow your meditation up with a guided journal experience. I’m in love with Michelle Obama’s Becoming: A Guided Journal For Discovering Your Voice, but you can also find a lot of great examples online.
Afternoon
Lunch: Indulge in a healthy, hearty Kale Caesar Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Crispy Chickpeas from Half Baked Harvest.
Continue your feelings of bliss into a facial steam.
You would not believe the glow you will have after a 10-minute facial steam. Grab a pan and cover the bottom in water then bring to a boil. Once the water is at a boil, grab a towel, drape it over your head and hang your face over the steaming water about 12 inches from the pan. Be careful not to burn yourself!
After your steam set-up your bathtub for a good soak. Add 4-drops of Lavender and 4-cups of Epsom salt to your bath. Epsom salt is fantastic for aches, pains, and inflammations. I use this often not just on wellness retreat days.
While that’s filling up, shed your old skin with a dry brush. Make sure to brush towards your heart. This is a great exfoliator but can be a bit painful, make sure to go easy on your skin.
Add a hair mask and soak for at least 30 minutes. Follow up with a quick shower to rinse off any salt that can stick around on your skin. Attempt to end your shower with a splash of cold water. I’ve been hearing non-stop lately about the amazing benefits of ending your shower with a cold splash.
Heat can strip your skin of moisture so make sure to restore it with a good thick moisturizer. I keep a bottle of Aveeno on the corner of my shower to wrap up my nightly routine regularly with moisture.
To restore moisture to your face opt for a hydrating mask from Farmacy It’s absolutely fantastic, I’ve been using it for years now. Follow it up with vitamin c serum and your moisturizer of choice. These product suggestions are best for those with acne-prone, dry skin.
Throw on a loose, comfy pair of pajamas to relax in for the day.
If you’re tired, lean into that feeling and take a nap. The research is in and naps are healthy. Just don’t take too long, you’ll risk screwing up your sleep at night, 20-30 minutes will do.
The afternoon is meant to indulge in all those little moments you might not often take time for. Enjoy a puzzle, journal, grab a great book, go for a walk, sit, listen to jazz, grab a glass of wine and just breathe.
Looking for a therapy session to truly focus on wellness but don’t have a scheduled therapy appt or a therapist? There are tons of online options now, check out Talkspace for a consultation.
Evening
Dinner: Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili by goop I’ve made this recipe on multiple occasions, it’s so delicious and pretty easy to cook.
Rent a movie or pick from one of the many online options (Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon, it goes on and on) or enjoy a book. Wellness is about taking time to restore your body and mind, this might mean different things to different people but certain aspects of taking care of yourself are tried and true. Taking time to rest and reflect will never be the wrong choice.
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