3 Ways to Relaxify Your Mind

OK, I know that "relaxify" is not an actual word, but after a long, stressful, cold and snowy week, by the time  FRIDAY rolls around, I tend to start making up words.

But here is something that is not made-up: there are real health benefits to finding FUN things to do on the weekends, like pampering yourself.

Relaxation Tip No. 1: When the tough gets going, some health experts say, GET A FACIAL.

Heading to the spa may actually reduce high blood pressure caused by stress, according to a study by the Mayo Clinic.

The warm steam from a facial can also increase circulation to the face and neck.

According to Pegg Hoffman, a skin care specialist at Renu Med Spa in Chevy Chase, Md., a facial massage can help to loosen up muscles in the jaw, for those who carry stress in their mouths or grind their teeth at night.

A one-hour, monthly facial can work wonders on a woman's complexion, says Hoffman. During a facial with one of Renu's skin care specialists, you will receive a specialized skin consultation, a Clarisonic facial brush cleansing, steaming, extractions, shoulder & face massage and a customized mask.

The friendly and upscale environment at Renu helps you relax.

Relaxation Tip No. 2: GO SHOPPING! Yes, girls! This really is the news we have been waiting for our entire lives.

According to Women's Health magazine, shopping will give you the same kind of high you might get from running on a treadmill by releasing a flood of endorphins - the feel-good chemicals in your brain.

The mood boosting endorphans that come from shopping not only gives your brain a boost, but your relationships, too, according to the article, "Shopping IS Good For You: How Manolos Can Save Your Life," by Dan Tynan.

After an online shopping spree, I am elated when my
Shoe Dazzle heels and purse arrive!

'Round here, we prefer $39.95 ShoeDazzle shoes over thousand dollar Manolo Blahniks, and according to Los Angeles-based psychologist Dr. Nancy Irwin, the better the deal, the bigger the boost.

"It's a peak experience to get a hell of a deal," says Irwin to Women's Health.

Relaxation Tip No. 3: DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE ELSE. You don't have to be Oprah and give away a trip to Australia, but by doing something as simple as treating your coworker to lunch or shoveling snow from your elderly neighbor's steps, it can have profound effects on your stress levels.

Fashion icon Donna Karan is named
Humanitarian of the Year.

(In the photo above, fashion designer Donna Karan snaps a pic with Chef Art Smith after being honored as Humanitarian of the Year by ShelterBox USA. The event, honoring Karan's work in Haiti, took place at Laison Hotel on Capitol Hill earlier this week. Photo Credit: Joyce N. Boghosian)

GreaterGood.com's Jill Suttie and Jason Marsh write: A wide range of research has linked different forms of generosity to better health, even among the sick and elderly.

In his book Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Stephen Post, a professor of preventative medicine at Stony Brook University, reports that giving to others has been shown to increase health benefits in people with chronic illness... (from the article, "5 Ways Giving Is Good For You").

I think it was Maria Shriver who said it best when she quoted her mom, Eunice, as saying, "The best thing you can do for yourself is to do something for somebody else."

Let's try this weekend ladies! E-mail, Tweet or Facebook me your response to this article... and ways you relax and find happiness on the weekends.

xoxo,

Markette 

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