A homeowner is somebody who is always seen walking out of a hardware store.  Bag of hinges, box of roach killer, toilet plunger, bucket of paint.  It's always something.  The weekend is quickly filled with an endless list of chores, or "honey-do's".  No problem if these chores are relaxing and provide stress relief.  For most, however, weekends have lost their value as stress-busters. 

Several years ago, I was involved in a Hilton Hotel survey of over 1000 people across the US.  Each was asked a series of questions about their stress levels before and after the weekend.  Surprisingly, over 80% stated that they were more stressed on Monday morning than they were when they left the office Friday afternoon. 

In terms of stress relief, most people got nothing out of their weekends. 

The reasons were myriad:

• the chores in the house
• doing the laundry
• the yard work
• taking the kids to their activities
• getting the dog washed
• car wash
• preparing for a dinner party



• cleaning up afterwards, etc. 

So the stress levels at the office were nothing compared to the chaos of the days "off" at the end of the week.  

My own patients tell me the same thing.  Stresses have never been higher, especially in today's economy, and the traditional "down time" seems useless at best.  That's why I've learned to value a true break from weekend stresses, just as we need a break from the mid-week stresses.  Even as a special treat once in a long while, there is great merit to a weekend "getaway".  Not to your own cottage, boat or tent, because the chores just change.  The real stress relief is to go to someone else's place, like a hotel, or boutique bed-and-breakfast. 

Now you can fully relax,  and know that there are NO CHORES to spoil your time.  You can even sleep in, then go back to bed a couple of times,  unless you brought young children with you.  Come to think of it, if you have youngsters, pick a weekend when it's their turn to be overnight at their friends' homes.

One of the amazing results is that you will be able to give in to your fatigue, even if you start off thinking of a very ambitious schedule of sightseeing or shopping. 

Bargains exist for great weekend rates, even in your own town (that way you don't need to factor in the cost or time of air travel).  A short drive can also add to the feeling of relief, by physically changing the scenery.  In Aspen, locals often travel to Denver for a weekend of city stimulation.  We live in Denver, and occasionally "take the mountain air" in Aspen.  For both directions, stress is relieved: the body gets a rest, the mind gets a break, and the face relaxes its furrows!

As we age, our faces become a visible indicator of our stress levels.  The invisible indicators, like blood pressure and cholesterol levels,  you will have to see your doctor about. 

For more information on how to take the stress out of your face, visit www.facemaster.com.  

For more information on Dr. Hanson's stress management techniques, visit him at www.peterhansonmd.com. 

If you want an affordable way to pamper yourself on a special Colorado weekend, visit www.aspenresidence.com. 

If you live elsewhere, and want to bring your pet along, visit http://www.petswelcome.com/. 

It has been said that one never gets a second chance to make a first impression.  That's why appearance has become so important, especially in today's economy.   The face has assumed new importance in two areas of our lives:

1.Professional Career: record numbers of people are looking for jobs.  Some have had their hours reduced and need supplemental work to make ends meet.  At one time most job applicants were young people entering the work force; today they are joined by many who are in their forties, fifties and sixties.  Naturally they want to look their best, both in their photograph, and in person.  

2. Personal Relationships: For many, today's stresses would be much easier to bear if they had a good relationship.  And with today's time famine, thousands of singles are turning to the internet to find their ideal mate.  Once again, it all starts with a picture of the face, then an eventual meeting in person.  Naturally, one hopes the real face looks as good as the advertised one!

To make a good first impression with your photograph, you naturally want something better than a quick passport photo.   For a portrait, people take care to present their best appearance; they have their hair styled, make-up applied, and make sure they have a good photographer with good lighting.  These details will make the outer face look its best.  

But for those with facial wrinkles or sagging muscles, attention should be directed to the inner face.  At spas all over the country, facial muscles are lifted and toned with micro-electric current gently applied through wands touching the face.  Like weight-lifting, the toning is temporary, but builds with successive sessions.  Often, stars will have a couple of treatments in the week before a big media event, and will keep doing these regularly during the filming of a movie.  The before/after pictures from these spa treatments have always been dramatic.  Indeed, when we do them in our office in Denver, we give the patient a mirror after only half the face is done.  Instantly, we see the wrinkles start to diminish, and can feel the pumped-up tone of the facial muscles.  Once the inner face is toned, then the outer face is much easier to improve with make-up and lighting.

But with today's time famine (see my blog at http://www.facemaster.com/Blog/post/Time-management-how-to-put-a-good-face-on-it!.aspx), most people cannot make room in their schedule for a weekly trip to the spa.  And in today's economy, spending up to a couple of hundred dollars on a temporary facial treatment is, for most, unrealistic.   

So take a tip from Suzanne Somers, and from over 250,000 of her satisfied customers; her FaceMaster produces professional facial toning for less than the price of one spa treatment.  Once your inner face is toned, you can do a much better job with cosmetics to the outer surface.  Suzanne Somers, age 62, attributes her great facial tone to using this machine for the last 16 years.  In fact, she rarely ever misses a day!  In only a few minutes, you can see and feel the muscles firm up, the bags under the eyes start to tighten, the sagging areas over the cheeks start to plump up, and, with the "face-erasing" step called feathering, you can see fine lines and wrinkles disappear.  Watch Suzanne demonstrate how to feather her forehead at http://www.facemaster.com/videoTips.aspx?id=6.  Also take a look at our live models showing the before/after sides of their faces.

So remember, whenever you are about to interface, make sure your inner face is toned. Then you will always put your best face forward!

 Dr. Hanson welcomes your comments.  You can visit him at www.peterhansonmd.com. 

For those of you who are interested in a new career, visit sites like www.monster.com or www.indeed.com. 

For those of you looking for a new personal relationship, visit sites like www.match.com, or www.eharmony.com.