30 Minute Ways to Relax and Reconnect

Sometimes life can become overwhelming. Job stress, home and family, money, worries concerning the next paycheck and how the kids are affected by it all are just a small portion of life on our day by day basis. It can all become so much you just want to run away. That's when it's time to take a 30 minute break. It won't affect how much you get done before bed. It won't affect your income or lack there of and it won't affect the problems, because after the 30 minutes you can go back to them. But the 30 minute break can give you renewed strength and energy and it can bond you in friendship and support with yourself and your family. Try it and see what a difference it can make.

1. 30 minutes in a bath. This is a given, but many won't attempt it because it is so predicable. Forget what others think. It doesn't matter if you are female or male it is one of the best ways to relax and gather your thoughts. Run the tub full of hot water. Gather books, magazines or play music. Enjoy a glass of wine or soda or whatever your favorite drink is. Lay back, stop thinking and enjoy only what is in the room with you. When you are finished you can slowly make your way back to the world of reality, but now you are relaxed and ready to find new solutions.

2. If you have kids and they are driving you crazy for your attention, maybe it's time to stop and spend 30 minutes with them. Get out the ice cream, bowls and spoons. Tell them to sit around the table and get ready for a great game. Place a bowl of ice cream in front of each one with a spoon, but they must not eat it yet. Do not have real strict rules for this game. The point is to reconnect to them in a way that makes them happy and you relaxed and happy to have them. Let one of them tell a joke. After the joke is over everyone takes a bite of ice cream. Then on to the next joke and another bite. The point is to have fun and laugh with them after each joke, story or game you choose. Everyone wins and they feel loved. You'll love the game because they made you feel good too.

3. Choose a time of 30 minutes with your other half. No TV or anything else to distract. Pour your favorite drink or even a cup of cocoa. Start good conversations that mean nothing such as how you would survive on an island alone with each other. Would you wear clothes? Would you build a shelter or play games? Discuss you choice of a market business if you were in the gold rush days of California or what you would take if you were moving to the west by wagon train. Talk about plans for something fun, a dream vacation, winning the lotto and plan a lot of smiles and laughing. The 30 minutes will bring you back together in a way of friendship and a bond of caring for the couple who depend on each other.

4. Lay under a fan on a hot day for 30 minutes without thinking about what needs to be done in the house. Let it go for now. That 30 minutes will relax you and cool you off enough to enjoy the work that waits for you. Doing the dishes or laundry will go faster when you are relaxed and ready. You will feel like you have done something secret just for yourself.

5. Have a very fun 30 minute dinner with your family. No one is allowed to discuss problems. Everyone must say only positive things to each other. Sit down at the table, eat a pizza and have root beer floats. Talk about the things you are proud of for each person in the room. No insults regarding manners, clean rooms, school work or anything else.

6. Plan a night to watch a movie together. But for the 30 minutes prior to the movie build a blanket fort with the kids or the one you love. Eat hot dogs and candy bars and talk about fun things you would like to do when you grow up. Even adults have dreams of when they grow up even more than they are now. When it's time for the movie to start the bonding will still be felt by each member.

Now you have the idea and suggestions. You can reconnect to life by yourself, with you family or with friends. There are many other ways to spend 30 minutes to refuel your energy and life. The hardest step is deciding to give yourself the 30 minutes out of your day or even your week. It's up to you to make it work and plan the time.