Vacations have changed dramatically over the years. Many working people don't really take a vacation at all. They merely do their usual work, or a portion of it, in a place nicer than their office. Disconnecting from phone calls, voice mail, e-mail, and to-do lists is hard in the complex world of technology tools designed to increase our ability to stay in touch.
I was standing behind a couple at a busy hotel reception recently. The husband asked his wife: "What time shall I book the taxi for?" The woman, struggling with various bags and cradling a mobile phone in her shoulder, whilst conversing with the receptionist, spectacularly lost her temper at this question. She told him just what he could do with the taxi.
Art therapy has long been seen as a form of therapeutic process for emotional disorders and anxiety. Van Gogh kept some of his demons at bay through art. More recently, therapists have reported a high success rate with the use of creative expression to deal with anger, depression and pain.
Take for example Carla P., who was saved from her 15 year severe depression by art therapy.
A typical day for urban people often starts and ends with work-related stress. This is an inevitable thing, so to speak, because the competition in the workplace is quite tough and it is important to remain a top employee just so we can keep up. But in doing so, we subject ourselves to a life that is so strenuous that it is already making difficulties for us.
Stress is a major reason why so many of us have failing health. When we do not attempt to relieve tension and stress, there is a real life consequence that accompanies that action. People receive stress from what seems like every possible direction. Just when you think you have everything caught up and taken care of, something else happens. It will always be this way, but the bright thing about it is that there is a way to handle the stress that comes with life so it doesn't get the best of you.