Healthier, More Pleasurable Evenings (page 2 of 3)

Indulge Yourself

11. Go to sleep at 8 p.m. We're all horribly sleep-deprived in this country. So every now and again, pretend you're six years old, put on flannel pajamas, get into bed at 8 p.m. and turn out the light.

12. Give yourself a pedicure. Fill a basin with warm water and a few drops of peppermint oil. Soak until the water cools, then pumice away the rough skin on the soles of your feet. Massage a scented lotion all over your feet, inhaling the lovely scent and feeling your feet soften with every stroke. Trim your toenails and push back your cuticles and, if you desire, polish your toenails in some hot color you'd never dare wear on your fingernails. If you can, convince your partner to give you a foot massage.

13. Ask your partner, or even an older child or a friend, to wash your hair for you. Having your hair washed and your scalp massaged is an unexpected luxury that will help wash away the stress of the day and prepare you for bed.

14. Put a Glenn Miller CD (or whatever music you prefer dancing to) on the stereo and dance for 20 minutes. Jazz and cheek-to-cheek dancing not your thing? Fine, slip some high-energy rock music into the CD and pretend you're in a mosh pit. Either way, you'll get 20 minutes of physical activity and, if you're doing the mosh pit thing, you'll burn as many calories as if you were jogging. An added bonus: improved coordination and, if you do a lot of dips, some good stretches. Plus, this is a great way for younger parents to engage their kids in physical activity -- the whole family can cut a rug, dancing energetically until just one is left standing.

15. Make a yogurt smoothie for dessert. Toss a frozen banana, a pint of plain or vanilla yogurt, a handful of blueberries, and a teaspoon of honey into the blender along with a cup of crushed ice. Blend the mixture until it is thick and smooth. The combination of the antioxidants in the blueberries, the potassium in the banana, and the live bacteria in the yogurt just gave you a health boost that no vitamin could match. Specific conditions you have just helped protect yourself against: Urinary tract infection (blueberries), high blood pressure (banana), and yeast infection or irritable bowel syndrome (yogurt).

16. Sip a cup of goldenseal tea. The herb, often found in over-the-counter remedies mixed with echinacea, may boost your immune system, preventing colds and other infections.

17. Plan a vacation. Whether or not you're actually going to take it doesn't matter. Get on the Internet or pull out some travel magazines and begin planning your fantasy vacation. Check out airline costs, pick a hotel, virtually (but not really) book a snazzy red convertible to drive while you're there. Write down all the details and print out any pictures you find. Then file them into a vacation journal. Over the course of a year, "book" one vacation a month, each time in a different location and for a different purpose (i.e., a golf vacation, a family vacation, an adventure vacation, a spa vacation). Taking this fantasy trip will provide a pleasant way to unwind before bed -- and may ensure some really great dreams.

18. Set a timer and write in your journal for 10 minutes. Many people eschew keeping a journal because they can't stand the sense of responsibility it brings to write in it every night. But if you know you only have 10 minutes, suddenly what seemed like a chore takes less time than washing the dishes. Not sure what to write? Try just listing what you did that day. Write five things that made you smile that day. Write five things that made you angry -- and why they made you angry. Numerous studies attest to the stress-busting power of regular journaling. Plus, it's just so much fun to leaf back through your journal and see what you were doing a year before. It provides a way of marking your life in a world in which our lives stream by faster than cars on the German autobahn.

19. Do some writing. Go one better than a journal: Compose a letter to a friend, or some e-mails, or a missive to your political representatives, or something creative. Writing is wonderful brain activity, and who isn't better off learning how to better express themselves?

20. Write down your entire to-do list for the next day. It only takes five minutes, yet the peace of mind it provides is priceless. Now, instead of running a to-do list over and over in your mind -- which makes your responsibilities morph into gargantuan proportions -- you can enjoy the rest of your evening and have a better shot at falling asleep easily.

• • Get Motivated
• Happiness
• Family Life
• Healthy Habits
• Exercise

• Reclaim Your Weekends!
• Work more activity and relaxation into your days off
• 
• Walk to a Healthier You
• Maximize this basic aerobic exercise for lasting results
• 
• 17 Ways to Beat Your Television Addiction
• Escape couch potato syndrome.
• 
• Cooking Dinner on a Busy Schedule
• How to make supper healthy and stress-free.
• 
• 24 Ways to Brighten Your Morning
• Wake up on the right side of the bed and ease into your day with a positive, calm attitude.
• 
• Reduce Stress Through Journaling
• Write your way to better health.
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