Live your best life with a mini-vacation that focuses on putting your health and wellbeing first. By indulging in a little self-care during your getaway, you’ll return feeling refreshed and in a better frame of mind to take on whatever comes your way.

The more dreary days of winter are notoriously connected with feelings of melancholy. Add on the stress of this past year, and a getaway focused on wellness seems needed now more than ever. Often when we find ourselves getting busy or facing challenging situations, taking care of ourselves tends to be the first thing to go. But engaging in regular self-care has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve energy and concentration, increase happiness, and more.

A long weekend focused on wellness does not necessarily mean a jam-packed agenda full of exercise routines. Nor does it only have to include back-to-back spa treatments. Remember that wellness is a holistic journey, integrating a number of dimensions, including physical, intellectual, emotional, environmental, and spiritual health. What one person needs to feel rebalanced and recharged may involve completely different activities than another. The key is to design a trip with enriching activities based on your personal needs.

Here are some of our suggestions to address your various dimensions of wellness while visiting the Saugatuck/Douglas area:

Spiritual

Be mindful and in the moment by enjoying your surroundings and putting away the smartphone. Soothe your soul through meditation, prayer, or self-reflection. Practice yoga with a private one-on-one class at Satya Yoga, where a 60-minute session will be created for your specific needs.

Emotional

Spend some time journaling, watch a funny movie, or listen to some live-streamed music through the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Feeling a little stuck? Consider trying out an Access Bars^® session through Thrive Massage and Wellness. Access Bars are 32 points on your head that, when gently touched, will release the thoughts, attitudes, emotions, and beliefs that are stopping you from feeling joy and ease in your life.

Environmental

Go for a leisurely walk along Oval Beach and listen to the sounds of the waves or take an easy hike through the Saugatuck Dunes State Park and just breathe in the fresh air. Feeling adventurous? Climb up the steps of Mt. Baldhead to take in a panoramic view of the Kalamazoo River and bask in the sun. During the evening, look up at the sky at count the stars.

Intellectual

Read a book or work on a puzzle. Forgot to bring one? Stop by The Book Nook, an independent book store in Saugatuck that sells new and used books, as well as puzzles, and give your brain a mental challenge. Learn something new by taking a cooking class at Lulu Cadieux or attending a Beer School class at Guardian Brewing Company. Tap into your creative side by requesting a ceramic demonstration from the Jeff Blandford Gallery or peruse our many galleries, like The Button Gallery or J. Petter Galleries | Saugatuck Annex, to become more inspired.

Physical

Need to fit in that conventional workout? Pick up a day pass to Blue Star Gym. Want to flush some toxins out of your body? Make an appointment for the sauna at Encompass Wellness Yoga & Fitness Center. If the traditional spa experience is more your style, enjoy a hydrating facial combined with the benefits of minerals from the Dead Sea at SPAlia Saugatuck. Indulge in a deep tissue massage from Redefine Med Spa or simply relax with a CBD Massage from Bella Vita Spa.

What you put into your body is just as important, so nosh on some healthy food while you’re here with farm-to-table fare from Pennyroyal Café + Provisions, Root Café, and Farmhouse Deli & Pantry. Want to learn more about the healing power of food? Consider signing up for a consultation with LadyHawk Nutrition to get ideas on how to take control of your health by transforming the way you eat. They also offer counseling on dietary supplements such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, and homeopathic remedies that will work best for your specific needs.