<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"Got stress? I do! Lots of it! I&amp;#x27;m not complaining, just trying to make good on my New Year&amp;#x27;s resolution to deal with stress in healthier ways. So, in the first installment of my new series, Diary of a Stressanista, I&amp;#x27;m sharing all the ways I&amp;#x27;m trying to stress less. First up, how incorporating spa rituals at home, namely, a little something called hydrotherapy, is helping... We all have loads of stress in our lives, so you can probably relate to feeling over-taxed and pulled in a million directions. In addition to the writing I do (and love) for Vitamin G, I also write novels, have three little boys under the age of five and a half, and try to be a decent friend, neighbor, sister, daughter, wife, and oh, dog mama. Sometimes, I feel like all I do is check things off of an endless to-do list, and then just wake up and do it all over again. Yep, I&amp;#x27;ve got stress. Yes, stress is a normal, and some would argue--healthy--part of our daily lives, but too much of the stress hormone, cortisol, flowing through your veins can lead to negative health consequences, even increased risk for disease. In short, too much stress = bad. And the more we can learn to manage our stress, the better. So, in effort to get a handle on my stress, I decided to spend a few hours at the spa recently. My goal: To unwind, relax, and maybe learn a few things to put into practice at home (believe me, if I could figure out a way to live in a spa 24-7, I&amp;#x27;d move right in!). I recently had the chance to visit Yuan Spa, which is newly opened in Bellevue, near my home in Seattle, where I enjoyed some time in their hydrotherapy suite, which includes a sauna, steam room, and hot and cold sea salt soaking pools. Water is at the heart of this spa&amp;#x27;s healing practices, and I learned, quickly, how amazing, and de-stressing H20 can be. After a perfect massage and hydrofacial, I felt calm and balanced, but I was really excited about hydrotherapy in general for stress relief. While I don&amp;#x27;t have a steam room or sauna in my home (wish!), I think a hot bath and a good-ol&amp;#x27; jar of body scrub does wonders to calm you when life&amp;#x27;s got you down. I&amp;#x27;ve been trying to incorporate hot baths into my life at least twice a week, and I&amp;#x27;ve found that it&amp;#x27;s the perfect antidote to a long and stressful day. (Yeah, a trip to the spa is even better!) What works for you when you need to de-stress? Do you ever take a bath? P.S. Would you dare try this intimate spa treatment? And, the way to make your kitchen a spa... Photo: Thinkstock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2012/03/diary-of-a-stressanista-how-im>