1. Have a reading marathon.
2. Write stories together.
3. Play soccer.
4. Paint or draw together.
5. Create a fort in your living room out of blankets or cardboard boxes.
6. Go on a hike.
7. Have a sunset picnic at a park or beach.
8. Play board games.
9. Play kickball.
10. Get up early, pack breakfast, and have a sunrise breakfast.
11. Go to a museum.
12. Go to a playground.
13. Play hide-and-seek.
14. Have a pillow fight.
15. Ride bikes.
16. Build sandcastles.
17. Rent a dvd and make popcorn.
18. Tell stories.
19. Have a scavenger hunt.
20. Make mazes or puzzles for each other to solve.
21. Play card games.
22. Garden together.
23. Bake cookies (let the kids help).
24. Go to the zoo.
25. Go to the library.
26. Shop at a thrift shop.
27. Create a blog together.
28. Create a scrapbook.
29. Make a movie using a camcorder and computer.
30. Learn to play music.
31. Fingerpaint.
32. Make play dough from scratch.
33. Make homemade mini pizzas.
34. Buy popsicles.
35. Make hand-painted T-shirts.
36. Set up a hammock, make lemonade, relax.
37. Go to a pool.
38. Go to a public place, people watch, and make up imaginary stories about people.
39. Visit family.
40. Write letters to family.
41. Paint or decorate the kids’ room.
42. Make milkshakes.
43. Play freeze tag.
44. Create a treasure hunt for them (leaving clues around the house or yard).
45. Decorate a pair of jeans.
46. Do a science experiment.
47. Play games online.
48. Teach them to play chess.
49. Learn magic tricks.
50. Create a family book, with information and pictures about each family member.
51. Fly kites.
52. Go snorkeling.
53. Barbecue.
54. Volunteer.
55. Donate stuff to charity.
56. Compete in a three-legged or other race.
57. Create an obstacle course.
58. Pitch a tent and sleep outside with marshmallows.
59. Roast marshmallows.
60. Play loud music and dance crazy.
61. Write and produce a play (to perform before other family members).
62. Paint each other’s faces.
63. Have a water balloon fight.
64. Have a gun-fight with those foam dart guns.
65. Explore your yard and look for insects.
66. Go for a walk and explore the neighborhood.
67. Go jogging.
68. Take pictures of nature.
69. Play a trivia game.
70. Make up trivia questions about each other.
71. Make hot cocoa.
72. Play house.
73. Decorate the house with decorations you make.
74. Make popsicles.
75. Play school.
76. Do shadow puppets.
77. Make a comic book.
78. Play in the rain.
79. Make mud pies.
80. Blow bubbles.
81. Take turns saying tongue twisters.
82. Sing songs.
83. Tell ghost stories in the dark with a flashlight.
84. Build stuff with Legos.
85. Give them a bubble bath.
86. Play with squirt guns.
87. Play video games together.
88. Play wiffleball.
89. Play nerf football.
90. Build a rocket from a kit.
91. Bake a cake and decorate it.
92. Play dress-up.
93. Thumb-wrestle, play mercy, or have a tickle fight.
94. Make a gingerbread house, or decorate gingerbread men.
95. Learn and tell each other jokes.
96. Play basketball.
97. Learn to juggle.
98. Walk barefoot in the grass and pick flowers.
99. Build paper airplanes and have a flying contest.
100. Prank call their grandparents, using disguised, humorous voices.

by ZenHabits.net

Popularity: 20% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Get right up in her face and tell her you demand leisure time. Okay, that’s a bit much, but you can probably take some leisure time without being a jerk about it. It’s as simple as taking fifteen minutes here and two minutes there. There is a reason why people are addicted to smoking and it’s not just the nicotine. They get to go outside and take a break from all the stress. I find it funny to see a group of smokers huddled on a cold day, but they’re out there because it gives them a chance to have their nicotine and leisure time.

I discovered a great article in the NY Times “Why Leisure Matters in a Busy World.” The author Marci Alboher interviewed Alison Link, who believes that everyone must have some leisure time to work happy. It’s great to see so many people dedicated to helping others improve their work life.

Q. Why should we care about our relationship to leisure?

A. Too often, leisure time that is not used in a satisfying way turns into idle time, or is used to do a single thing to excess (like overeating, or getting into family quarrels). It can even turn negative, which is what happens often in the cases of substance use, delinquency and criminal activity. Also, wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t define ourselves by our work? It should be just as valid to define ourselves by our leisure.

We all need to take our health and happiness into account when we work. Many of us work so hard that we become ill or depressed. We need to have leisure in our life to keep our lives fun and energetic. If all we do is worry about work then what type of life is that? It’s a prison.

My second favorite question and answer was about feeling free. We all need to live our lives as if there are endless possibilities.

Q. So how do you explain all those people who don’t feel free in their lives?

A. Few of us really think about or plan for leisure. We think we should just go with the flow, but too often we end up feeling stressed, overwhelmed and unfulfilled. We need to plan for leisure — perhaps by doing one small thing every day, identifying long- and short-term leisure goals, putting enjoyable activities on the calendar — like we do other aspects of life. But before people start moving up leisure on the priority list, they need to appreciate and recognize the value and benefits of leisure, even when they have constraints (that may be internal or external). We all have obligations and other constraints that inhibit us from engaging in leisure that range from guilt to time or financial constraints. Yet the personal benefits and collective benefits short term and long term are worthwhile.

The mind needs to unwind and just have fun. There is a reason why kids are given time to eat and then run around the playground. They need to release their stress and so do you. You need to schedule in some leisure time every single day.

Here are 8 of my favorite leisure breaks:

1. Take a long lunch break and go to a museum by yourself.
2. Stretch at your desk for two minutes
3. Meet with a friend who you normally don’t see for Lunch
4. Breathe deeply for two minutes and nothing else
5. Walk around the block
6. Call your mother (only if she doesn’t stress you out)
7. Read a fictional book during your break
8. Write a Poem

It’s up to you to schedule in a little leisure time for yourself, so you will work happier and be more productive. Believe me, your family will thank you for destressing throughout the day instead of letting it all come out when you get home.

Karl Staib - The Work Happy Guy

Popularity: 28% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Most of us scarely have time to organize our to-do lists. What are we chasing after? And what would it take to make us rest?

There is a colleague I often bump into at the university where I teach, and we exchange a similar greeting every time. “I stayed up past midnight reading application forms for today’s meeting,” she says. And I answer, “I got up at dawn to prepare for a class.” We groan, laugh lightly and rush off to our busy day—until the next morning’s story of being too busy.

A friend in Senegal tells me that people there address one another very differently—family to family. “Blessings on your father and mother,” one might say upon seeing a friend, “and blessings on your mother’s parents, and blessings on your father’s parents, and blessings on your children.” It is a pleasant greeting, and it takes a while to say it. So why do we Americans greet one another in our grim, rapid-fire way, workload to workload?

Because overworking has become our national way of life. More of us are clocking longer hours, and we seem to be packing our free time with extra activity. According to a report from the International Labour Office, Americans now put in nearly 2,000 hours per year, which comes out to two weeks more than our counterparts in Japan, formerly the long-work-hours capital of the world. The Hilton Time Values Project reports that in a national survey it conducted, 26 percent of respondents agreed with the statement “I consider myself a workaholic.”

What drives us to stay so busy? Some of the pressure to overwork comes from the boss and the need to pay rent. But when I asked those I interviewed for my book The Time Bind why they worked long hours, many of them told me, “We do it to ourselves.” Indeed, some of the pressure to overwork comes from ourselves. Some may feel addicted to the adrenaline rush of doing too much, and at the last minute; others seek appreciation from a supervisor or co-worker. And still others see work as a measure of their value. They think that if they do more, get better, go faster, stay at the office later, they’ll be worth more—and be happier.

But many who struggle still aren’t happy. And with every additional task, we become a little less able to tell what it is that we really feel. What emotions would we experience if we weren’t working ourselves to death? What wishes drive us? What fantasies hitch themselves to our continual busyness? Only when we step away from our frenzy can we know

by O, The Oprah Magazine

Popularity: 27% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

You may have heard the term while watching home decorating shows or walking through a furniture gallery, but what is feng shui? And how do you use it? Here are some descriptions of feng shui that may help.

This style of decorating is an ancient Chinese art form that supports that principle that color and furniture placement determine the energy of a space. These principles guide the architectural and construction planning of many of the buildings in China even today and you can use these techniques in your home to achieve balance and harmony.

Colors and elements are used when decorating for feng shui, so knowing the properties for both these factors is important. The elements include: wind/air, water, fire, wood and earth. There are colors that correspond with these elements and this is the way you choose the chi, or spiritual energy that you want invited into each room in your home. Each of the elements and colors carry qualities with them as well, which will serve as a feng shui guide when you’re decorating. For instance, if you want a room with a calm yet serious feel, such as a study or library, you may want to choose ‘wood’ colors, such as green or brown, as well as using actual wood furniture in the room.

Chi is also represented by color separations or shakras. It is said that when the shakras are aligned, there is perfect harmony or balance in a room or space. In order to make sure that all colors or shades are represented in your room, you may want to include things like mirrors or crystals in your room. When light is reflected off of them you can see all the colors in the spectrum. Many people use feng shui crystals in rooms that are communal, such as the living room, since many different personalities and energies will be present there.

If you’re still asking ‘what is feng shui?’ you may want to start with a little furniture rearranging. This way, you won’t have to spend any money initially and you can determine how peaceful or aggressive you feel when certain pieces of furniture are moved around in your home. Energy placement is important in a home and simple moves like scooting the sofa further from the entrance, or sliding the bed away from the corner of the wall could make a big difference. For more great tips, you can visit several ‘what is feng shui’ websites, such as www.fengshuitimes.com and www.fastfengshui.com.

Popularity: 14% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

- We usually try to getaway by going hiking.  We take our usual hiking trail that is covered by dense trees.  Once we are in the trail it is like we are in our own world.  All you here are nature’s sounds and the twigs crackling beneath your feet as you walk.  The fresh air and exercise is exhilarating.  About half way through we stop and sit at the top of a hill and look down over the countryside.  The trail only takes about an hour but it is an hour I look forward to especially when things at work get stressful.

- I like to vacation with my husband in Las Vegas.  The airfare and hotels are cheap and there are many great packages offered.  We aren’t that big on gambling but we do enjoy doing some during the day.  At night we take in a buffet and one of the numerous fantastic shows.  Sometimes we just walk the strip to experience the energy of the city.  All the excitement of the day gets us revved up for a great night of passion.

- To escape from the craziness of everyday-life I meditate every day for 20 minutes.  The deep breathing is supposed to stimulate the body to ward off stress.When I am done I feel completely at peace.  I am going to start taking classed in Tai Chi that also does some meditation of its own.

- To deal with anxiety I go for a walk or run every night that I can.  It really helps clear my head and to think things through.  If I go with my husband he is usually my sounding board  (Maybe that is why he doesn’t go on walks with me much anymore).   I don’t sleep as well if I don’t at least get some exercise.

- My favorite thing to do to escape is to read a book.  I read every night before I go to bed regardless of how tired I am.  If it is an especially good murder mystery I find myself fighting to stay awake. When I read I don’t think about anything else except the characters in the book.  I mostly read fiction but do on occasion read a biography it is someone I think may be interesting.

- I hit the gym to relieve anxiety.  There is nothing better to take out my aggressions and relieve my worries then lifting weights and doing cardio.  During my time at the gym I can feel the built-up stress leaving me.When I am doing the cardio I am able to think with a clear head.When I am done I am usually full of energy and tackling life’s problems seems so much easier when you have extra energy.When I don’t exercise I find myself sleeping longer and taking naps more often.  My time in the gym is less than the extra time I used to spend sleeping and napping and I have much more energy!

- If you want the ultimate stress reducer you need to take up T’ai Chi. It will lower your stress, improve your health, and increase your energy.  The best part is anyone can do it no matter what your age.

- I lower my stress and reduce anxiety by meditating.  A lot of people frown on it thinking it is only something monks do.  I feel very at peace when I am done. It seems to slow down the hectic world I live in.  There are many CDs out there that put you in the right state of mind to make it easier for you.

- A favorite vacation spot for our family is Williamsburg, Virginia. There are things we all like to do.  My husband and I like the historical tours while the kids like Busch Gardens and Water Country.We also go to Virginia Beach for a day.  I highly recommend it.

- One thing my wife and I like to do often is either rent a movie and go out to the theaters.  If we go out to the theaters we drop the kids at my parents.  If we stay in and rent one we start it as soon as the kids are in bed.  It is a nice two-hour escape especially when there is only re-runs on TV.

- My wife and I love to take a trip skiing together.We usually go to Colorado or Vermont.We stay in a chalet complete with a hot tub by ourselves.  After a full day of skiing we have a nice dinner and them warm up in the hot tub.  The skiing is fantastic but can be exhausting.  It feels so good to relax and sip champagne in the hot tub with my husband.

- Our favorite trips are almost always the cruises we go on.We really enjoy the Caribbean trips but our last Alaskan cruise was especially enjoyable.  It is nice to not have to worry about meals and to be able to see so many places in a short time.  The cruises are so cheap especially when we get an inner cabin.We are rarely ever in the cabin so the money we save goes into out next cruise fund.

- For leisure my wife and I like to get together with two other couples for a barbeque.  Everyone brings something so no one has that much preparation to do.We use throwaway plates, cups, and utensils so there is little clean up.  The women get together and talk about their stuff while we guys usually discuss sports or movies. Sometimes we throw around the football, play darts, or play basketball.  Overall it is a nice relaxing time for all and not much work on anyone’s part.

- There is nothing more relaxing than taking a hot bubble bath by candlelight. I also have some CDs playing softly nearby.  The warm water relaxes your muscles.  The bubbles soften my skin.  The music makes me think pleasant thoughts.  The soft candlelight provides just the right mood in the room.  It is a 30-minute escape that I enjoy as often as I can.

- If you want leisure then buy a hammock.  There is nothing like reading a book in a hammock under a tree while enjoying a warm summer breeze.  It is the ultimate in escapes.  I got lost in the characters and plot of the book.  Sometimes after reading a bit I set down the book and doze off for an hour.

Popularity: 20% [?]

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!