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Why Health Farms Can Help Us Cope With Life Better...Tired of living in the steel and glass urban jungle? Or feeling a little breathless trying to keep up with those impossible deadlines at work? Maybe your social and personal life is slowly turning into a mess and you know you could do with some more time to yourself. Modern life comes with its own stresses and strains. We seem to work doubly hard to keep our place and with long working hours, erratic eating habits it's easy to see how you can get burnt out. When you stop to think about it, are you as far way from this as you really think? It seems easy to get absorbed in career life but the downside is when health, relationships or both take a back seat to work. However there is some hope. Health farms are now filling a felt need for a retreat from the routine. These venues vary in size and location and some are even country mansions with extensive grounds. They provide a cozy ambience and fantastic facilities. Whether you are a frazzled exec seeking a break from the boss or a working mum trying to reconnect to things past, a visit to a health farm can rejuvenate the mind and body. Here are some key reasons why more and more people are choosing health farms as a short break: A short stay in a health farm is a great tonic providing both physical and mental relaxation. It allows you to dabble in things that you would normally brush aside in your hectic work schedule and it gives moments of solitude and introspection. A Spa Break can also help you relax and cements closeness, which can help bring the love back into relationships. Often the most attractive feature of health farms is the spa. The spas offer excellent facilities for recuperation of the tired body and mind. Body massage with aromatic oils, refreshing baths in perfumed water and mud treatments can help improve blood circulation and ease muscle stiffness. Skin treatments include exfoliation, scrub with herbal products and manicure. Meditation, kinesiology and yoga classes can help you learn how to cope with stress. Personal consultations are also available on several lifestyle related disorders and the counselors can explain healthier options in food and living. Taking long walks in the countryside, playing golf; relaxing outings at the pool and tasting delectable cuisine make the whole experience a memorable one. A typical Spa 2 day package could include: A body massage, facial, a complete program of exercise and relaxation class, a balanced meal program, luncheon on day of arrival and departure, breakfast and dinner as well as unlimited use of the Spa facilities, hydro pool, luxurious sauna and steam rooms. There are many health farms in the UK and Ireland. Ragdale Hall, Champneys and Galway are some of the popular health farms. The Utopia Spa located in Kent is also proving to be increasingly popular too. Blessed with verdant greenery all around, these farms attract the rich and famous with many valued added services. With the growing popularity of the Internet, several websites offer services for planning a holiday at a health farm. And lets not forget, Health farms are not just for the health conscious. They make a great gift idea for a loved one too. Here are a few simple things that you should keep in mind while planning a holiday at a health farm: Check availability of accommodation and always pre-book your stay. Forward instructions about any specific preferences to the Spa - this applies especially to any food and treatment choices. Check the residential rules at the venue, but most of all relax and enjoy yourself. Health farms have doctors for medical advice and counselors for alternative treatment therapies. They can help you with a treasure house of information on better living. Make the most of your stay by picking up a few tips. Whether you choose a day spa break or stay for a few days, health farms are a great way to beat the circus of the daily grind. It is an invitation for personal indulgence to rejuvenate and de-stress. If you want to do your body and mind a favour as well as spend some quality time alone with a friend or partner then a Spa break could be just what the doctor ordered. Other articles by this author »
About Janette Vince
Janette Vince is the managing director of http://www.thanksdarling.com Thanks Darling provides a wide range of Spa Day and Spa Weekend Experiences to suit all occasions. For a wide range of UK Spa Breaks including one day and weekend experiences then visit http://www.thanksdarling.com/categories/spa-breaks.htm Related
And here is another random article you might be interested in... Absent without leave - managing absence in the workplaceAccording to the Institute of Psychiatry (April 2005), for the first time, stress, anxiety and depression have overtaken physical ailments as the most common cause of long-term absence from work. With sickness absence reportedly costing employers an average of £522 per employee per year (or an average of 10 lost working days), there are good reasons to look closely at the root causes of absenteeism and, where possible, provide early intervention to support employees in regaining their health. Short-term absence Short-term absence is usually defined as a period of absence of less than ten consecutive working days, and will usually be as a result of the employee suffering from a minor medical condition. Persistent short-term sickness is one of the most common problems employers have to face. Arranging temporary cover when an employee is off sick may not always be viable, and is often both disruptive and costly. Many employers therefore adopt the approach of persuading existing employees to cover for absentees on an ad hoc basis. While this may work in the short term, when applied over longer periods it puts pressure on existing staff, as they struggle to do their own work in addition to that of an absent colleague. The effect of this on staff morale can be damaging and counterproductive. Staff frequently feel resentful if required to do two jobs - often within the same timescale and for no extra remuneration. The situation may be further compounded when the absentee employee returns to work and is met with resentment from those who have had to cover for them during their absence. Long-term absence Long-term absence is defined as any period of absence in excess of ten consecutive working days. Such absence - particularly where it is stress-related - presents a different problem for employers. In the short-term they may feel able to cover an absence internally, whereas in the longer term it may be necessary to recruit temporary staff who will normally require induction training and may not necessarily fit in well with existing teams. Temporary staff will also increase the salaries and wages bill, as well as involving the payment of costly agency fees. After a long-term absence, a phased return to work will most certainly be recommended, with possible training needed to support the employee 'back into work'. Where rehabilitation is not an option, the costs of premature retirement due to ill-health will also need to be taken into account. Stress therefore has a quantifiable impact not only on health, safety and individual well being, but on the operational and financial performance of the organisation as a whole. Attendance patterns The link between stress and absence is so well proven that statistics on non-attendance are often used as an indicator of stress 'hot spots' within an organisation. These figures may also be used to measure the effectiveness of stress management interventions. In the analysis of attendance patterns, any extended periods of sick leave will immediately be apparent. Obviously, a stress-related illness or injury cannot be 'undone', but positive steps can still be taken by actively managing the return to work of the employee, and to minimise the risk of any identified stress reoccurring. Of even more importance is the monitoring of short-term absences that may be the first sign of excessive pressure. Typically, absences that tend to fall into a pattern (e.g. if an employee is off sick every Monday), or are linked to particular operational requirements (such as reporting periods) are the most likely to be stress-related. It's therefore important to look initially at the pattern of absence, rather than the reasons given for it. Stress is typically under-reported as a reason for absence - especially in the early stages - with alternatives such as colds, back pain, migraine or general fatigue being given instead. This under-reporting can occur for a number of reasons. For example, it may be that the individual has not recognised that they might be suffering from stress, or they may be reluctant to admit, either to others or themselves, that this is the real problem. There is often a stigma attached to stress, related to a perceived inadequacy or inability to cope. This exacerbates the problem by creating an artificial barrier to its identification and management. Absence management A successful absence management policy will ideally create a culture enabling any individual to admit to stress-related ill-health, without feeling that their future employment or career prospects may be damaged. Clearly, the earlier that specific sources of stress are identified, the sooner appropriate action can be taken to reduce the poor attendance that often ensues. In order to establish a level of control over sickness absence, and to implement an effective policy, it's advisable to analyse employee data including the following: • The number of days lost per year. The reasons for the various types and frequency of absence should then be assessed, including the following: • Is a particular job too stressful or too boring? When all this information has been collated and analysed, it can then be used to devise policies and procedures in consultation with staff representatives that should, when properly implemented, substantially reduce the incidence of absence. About The Author Carole Spiers combines three roles of broadcaster, journalist and corporate manager in the challenging field of stress management and employee wellbeing. With 20 years as a top industry guru on stress management and wellbeing, Carole's energy and dynamism extends to providing professional comment to media including television (BBC, ITV, Sky, NBC, CNN), print (Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, trade and professional journals) and countless radio interviews. A successful entrepreneur herself, Carole is the founder and MD of the Carole Spiers Group â€" a dynamic, niche consultancy, and the UK's No. 1 provider of Stress Management and Employee Wellbeing from the shop floor to the Boardroom A former Chairperson of the International Stress Management AssociationUK, Carole was instrumental in establishing National Stress Awareness Dayâ„¢. Carole acts as an Expert Witness on Stress Risk Assessment before the Courts, and is the author of Tolley's 'Managing Stress in the Workplace'. Free Special Report Contact us to receive our FREE Special report 'The Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions About Stress', please email sb@carolespiersgroup.com For more information on CSG'S services, including in-house and public training, stress policy, stress audit, risk assessment, attendance management, rehabilitation support, post trauma support, mediation, impartial investigations, expert witness, nationwide employee counselling team, coaching and mentoring services, please contact us: Carole Spiers Group If you would like to book Carole as a keynote speaker or conference chair at your next conference - check out www.carolespiersgroup.com/mediaenquirysheet.php Other articles by this author »
About Carole Spiers
Carole Spiers MIHE MISMA Carole Spiers combines three roles of Broadcaster, Journalist and Corporate Manager in the challenging field of stress management and employee wellbeing. Over the past 20 years, she has built up her corporate stress consultancy Carole Spiers Group (CSG), with prestige clients such as Sainsbury's, Rolls Royce and the Bank of England. Carole is frequently called upon by the national and international media and provides keynote presentations on stress-related issues. Carole was instrumental in establishing National Stress Awareness Dayâ„¢. Related
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