Melissa Deally here, just back from a fabulous cruise vacation to the Caribbean!,/p>

I went on a cruise 25 years ago, that was 3 days from LA to Catalina Island to San Diego and then Ensenada and back, and it was wonderful, but my most recent 7 day cruise, with 3 days at sea and 3 days in the ports of St. Maarten, Puerto Rico and Labadee, Haiti was absolutely wonderful.

I regularly reframe “self care” for my clients and during talks, explaining it is the MOST SELFLESS thing you can do, as when you look after yourself first, you give the world the BEST of you, not what’s LEFT of you! This cruise allowed me to practice that to the nth degree for a week! Stress is such a HUGE factor in all of our lives these days, and has such chronic and negative impact on our health, it is more important than ever to take time for self care and to reduce our stress levels.

The 3 days at sea, were absolutely fabulous. I do not recall a time that I literally had nowhere to go, and nothing that I had to get done! I was able to wake up when I wanted, and my biggest decision of the day was which onboard activities did I want to participate in, or which lounge chair (in the shade), shall I choose in which to enjoy the soothing view of the ocean, and read my book, or just doze. It was a wonderful feeling and I very quickly forgot about life at home and the busy-ness of it, and all the things I needed to be doing upon my return from vacation. It was wonderful for my brain, my soul, therefore my stress less, my health.

The days in port were equally fun, but busier, as of course I wanted to see / do as much as I could in the short time we were there. Having 3 days of sightseeing and 3 days at sea was a lovely balance. We were on a Royal Caribbean ship, Allure of the Seas, and there is literally something for everyone to enjoy on board, from a 2 year old to a 100 year old. They target 3 generational family vacations, which is a wonderful way to come together, celebrate family and make memories, while all getting to do something you enjoy at the same time.

The downside of cruising for your health, is the abundance of food and drink available!! However, i was able to find some delicious healthy smoothies at the Vitality Spa, which became my daily breakfast, as well as a salad bar for my lunch and a variety of healthy dinner options as well (yes there were many unhealthy options too, but it’s a buffet, so you take what works for you).

We enjoyed watching the sunset on the horizon most evenings, again soothing for the soul, and so peaceful just breathing in that beauty will calm any overstimulated nervous system. We loved every minute of our experience and will definitely cruise again. Meanwhile what are you next vacation plans….make sure you are including some self care and time to just be.

if you need help figuring out your best self care options to reduce your stress levels, or even help with making a savings plan to book your next vacation, book a session with me, to see what we can discover together. The most important thing for your health today, is to reduce your stress levels.

To your healing journey,

Melissa