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| Take a Vacation From Your Problems |
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| Pleasure, relaxation and getting away from responsibility are the hallmarks of a great vacation. With a little imagination, you can have all of this at home. Try these 10 tips for getting away without going anywhere at all. |
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- 1. Keep it simple.
Keep the whole day open with no commitments or errands of any kind. Give yourself permission to do nothing or anything that comes up. Given the overcommitted pace of life, you'd be surprised how wonderfully productive doing nothing can be!
2. Become a tourist.
Pick up a few brochures and see what your region has to offer. Check out that quaint historical town you've been meaning to see. Spend a whole day enjoying the soothing sights and sounds of nature at your local state park.
3. Soak it up.
A bubble bath can be just the thing to help you relax. Enjoy a glass of wine, light some scented candles and shut the door. Tell the family Mom's off-limits for the next 20 minutes.
4. Enjoy a mini-spa.
Every woman loves to be pampered — and you deserve it! Call a masseuse who makes home visits. Schedule a manicure or pedicure. Book an appointment at the salon and try that new cut or color you've been fantasizing about.
5. Have a friend over.
It was the ultimate answer to fun when you were a kid — and it's just as fun now! Invite your best girlfriend over to hang out. There's only one conversation rule — just for today, no stressful topics allowed.
6. Go where the water is.
Leave the kids with a sitter and head to the beach, lake or nearest water park with a group of your best grown-up friends. Chase each other into the water, splash and just have fun.
7. Host a movie marathon.
All it takes is a little preparation and you're ready to veg out. Rent three movies (aim for variety: a drama, a comedy and a romance), grab chips and some 2-liter bottles of soda, and pull out the sleeping bags. When you get hungry for real food, just order in!
8. Rekindle the romance.
Intimacy can reduce stress for both you and your spouse and rejuvenate affection. Get dressed up and feeling beautiful, and then hit the town for some live jazz music or salsa dancing. Enjoy each other, play together and get swept away to the moments when you first fell in love.
9. Laugh it off.
Laughter is a great mood booster and stress reducer because it releases endorphins, chemicals in the brain that can help improve your mood. Rent a funny movie. Hit your local comedy lounge or get into a tickle fight with the kids.
10. Read.
Head to the library and grab a best seller. Make an afternoon of browsing at your local bookstore. At home, grab the magazines that have been stacking up because you were too busy to read them. Curl up with some iced tea or an iced coffee, and read to your heart's content.
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