The cost of soothing frayed female nerves

When in high school 10 years back, I'd never imagined I'd grow up to spend more than 12,000 yuan ($1,747) annually on facials, body care, wellness and fitness.

Just around two years into my first job, however, here I am, a proud owner of an annual membership card of a beauty salon.

I live with my parents in their home. That helps boost my savings. Which I happily blow up, of course.

The salon is located near our home in Beijing. It is well-decorated; has a cozy sofa, dim lighting; plays soothing music; and the aroma of its essential oils, believe me, is absolutely therapeutic - they all immerse the five senses, helping my whole body to relax.

I mainly do facial care there. A facial costs me about 300 yuan. The cosmetologist first cleans my face, and then uses beauty apparatus and massage techniques to apply skin care products to my face.

If I do the whole procedure myself at home, it would cost way less. However, I enjoy the facial care at the beauty salon. So, I pay what it takes for that joy. That joy helps me to somewhat cope with the stress of being an urban working woman.

I also have an annual membership card of a yoga studio. It cost me around 12,000 yuan. The professional yoga trainers teach various types of yoga (Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Astangha Yoga, Flow Yoga and Bikram Yoga). The environment is quiet. No noisy training equipment of a gym here. You could say I pay more for the calm of a yoga studio.

Ten years ago, I cared more about food and fashion. Now, however, it's a different story. My story encapsulates China's consumption upgrade. Consumption of aspirational services related to wellness, fitness and the spiritual dimension is up.

"This year, the country's consumption sector will achieve growth with higher quality, which is embedded in the constant upgrade of consumption structure. Currently, the pattern of material consumption and spiritual consumption serving as the two main driving forces of the whole sector, has basically formed. As residents' per-capita income increases, the ratio of material consumption will continue to decline," said Zhao Ping, director of the international trade research department of the Academy of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Another indicator of high-end consumption, according to Zhao, is the increase in purchases of imported commodities. This year, there is a huge demand for medium- and high-end consumer goods, so their imports will rise, she said.

Import tariffs on many goods such as milk powder, seafood, nuts and wines have been canceled or lowered. In addition, cross-border e-commerce and import expos are new factors stoking demand. So, more foreign goods and services can enter the Chinese market more easily, she said.

Zhao said favorable government policies will also boost both the quantity and range of imported goods and services, enriching domestic consumers' choices to a large extent. This will satisfy consumer demand for medium to high-end commodities, deepening the ongoing consumption upgrade.

In April, the Ministry of Commerce announced it will initiate measures to help increase consumption of services, develop medium to high-end consumption, boost green consumption, upgrade consumption channels, and build a better consumption environment.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology also announced it will seek to promote the expansion and upgrade of information consumption. Besides, it will facilitate innovative research and development of popular products and services such as smart homes, wearable devices, virtual reality, and blockchain technology. By the way, are such things offered through annual membership cards?