Everyone Needs a "Spa Day"

 

By Kendall Worth

Daily life can be a hard grind, particularly for people in my community which comprises people living on income assistance.  We have financial struggles, we may well have physical and health challenges. And we are likely living with complex issues of mental and emotional stress. 

How people deal with this daily grind depends upon their economic standing. For those living in poverty, the most common advice is “Suck it up, buttercup!”. And the most frequent response is to retreat into social isolation and depression.  

For those who are financially better off but still feeling stressed or worn down, they chose to unwind and re-energize through vacations, or the ever popular “spa day”.

Regular readers will not be surprised to hear that I have never been to a spa. But as I understand it, a spa is a place where one gets physically and psychologically pampered …  there are amenities like saunas and steam rooms to help you relax, restful music plays in the background and there are different treatments such as massages and body therapies. The theory is that a visit to a spa enables you to unwind and relieves you of stress.

Of course, spa visits – and vacations – cost a lot of money.  They are not really an option for people in my community who are struggling each day with the basic challenges of life like buying groceries and paying rent. Finding the physical and mental space to relax, - never mind, be “pampered” – is not obvious.

I shake my head when better off people tell me that people on income assistance should take up a cost-free activity like walking, to help them relax while also getting exercise. The fact is (as I have written about before), that many in our community already walk up to 20km each day, just to get from the food bank to soup kitchen to medical appointment. Never mind the time spent just wandering about town simply because they have no where else to go. Readers will appreciate that for these people, walking is not a form of recreation.

The simple reality of life in poverty is that there is rarely an escape from the stresses and pressures of daily life. Through my BLOG, I regularly promote free community events like festivals that might provide a space for ordinary people to relax and enjoy life without spending money. Such opportunities happen mostly in the summer months. But as events move indoors in winter, there are almost always charges for attendance, which are a block to many in my community from participating.

We can all probably agree that it is important for EVERYONE’s mental health and well-being to have access to an occasional safe space in which to retreat from the pressures of daily life and relax.

Those from the financially “better off community” can readily buy their ways into spas and resorts, where they can decompress and gather themselves. This option does not exist for people in my community, people who likely are struggling with far greater personal pressures, anxieties and challenges.

It would be wonderful if our society could figure out a way by which to provide people in my community with access to a short-term space for such an experience. It would not need to be a full service spa or anything like that – a simple short-term “retreat” of some form in which people could be looked after and feel secure. A time “away from it all”, as they say, free from stigma and judgement.  

It would be even better if we could organize such retreats during holiday times like Christmas, when the mental stress and social pressures can be most intense.        

I have floated this idea past various contacts in our community, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. People suggest that such a retreat would be a great alternative to the usual 90 minute gatherings for Christmas Dinner and would serve as a much-needed relief from the “December blues” I have described in various BLOGs.

At such a retreat, participants could relax, participate in gentle activities, companionship or quiet time, without pressure to socialize or explain their circumstances. Being welcomed as valued guests could help strengthen their sense of dignity and belonging while creating opportunities for friendships.

We should have no illusions: such a retreat would not resolve the bigger issues of poverty, mental wellness and social isolation. But it would offer short-term comfort and a chance to recharge to the most vulnerable among us. Just like everyone else, people living in poverty deserve care, enjoyment and support for their emotional well-being. Something more than a hurried Christmas dinner.

Simply stated: we ALL need – and deserve – an occasional “spa day”.

Yes, I understand that there are all sorts of issues raised by this proposal. Not least of all, the cost involved, - as well as questions around Who? How? and Where?

In the absence of any other suggestions, I will simply point out that this is exactly the sort of initiative that would fit comfortably into the mandate of a Social Prescribing Organization, - an agency that would address the needs of our community not only through the lens of economic poverty, but recognizing the importance of addressing mental health and social isolation issues. 

Until we recognize – and address - the lived experiences and day to day realities of our community, we will never make progress towards sustainable, long term solutions.

Kendall Worth is an award-winning anti-poverty activist who lives with disabilities and tries to make ends meet on income assistance.