Do Americans work harder than Europeans? Employment law would definitely suggest that. In France, for example, workers are legally entitled to 30 days of paid annual leave. In Austria 22, with an extra 13 days of paid holidays. Finland boasts 25, with nine days of paid national holiday. Greece has 26, in total.

The USA has a big fat 0.

1/4 of Americans have no paid public leave or annual holiday at all, even though many private companies offer their workers paid holiday.Whether it be because of the legal regulations, or the USA work ethic, “burn out” in the states is a growing problem.

America! Put down your Blackberry! A 50 hour week does not make you more productive. Physically, to recover from burn-out, the body needs at least 2 weeks of relaxation. And that doesn´t mean 2 weeks of tearing around cities, maximising your holiday, slogging your guts out power-holidaying around some new demanding destination.

If you want to relax, let your body recharge, boost your health, and allow your skin to have a silky inner glow, why not take a break in Europe.

It would it be a great opportunity to take some substantial time way from work.And with home exchange it would be a very cheap way of getting away. You would only have to pay for the flights, so you wouldn´t have to worry about it eating into your finances. Plus, it would also be a chance to let some of the finer aspects of the European way of life seep in.

Paris, London, Vienna, and Venice are a few of the many European havens where you will be able to peel the toxic stress away from those wired up minds and bodies.

Here´s a quick three-point guide to banishing stress, European stylee.

1. Make time to eat. Don´t view meal times as an irrelevant inconvenience, that can be doubled up as work time, done on-the-go, or silently crumped in front of the TV, crippled by fatigue after too much work. Take time to plan the meal, buy all the fresh ingredients, and cook together. You can eat late if necessary, but take the time to prepare together, to sit down together and talk, and savour some long fermented juicy wine as you enjoy your meal.

2. Remember that European societies have an incredible sense of history. You don´t need to see five museums in one day on top of three parks, and a trip to the opera. If you can wonder through a rustic French town for example, absorbing the smell of the marble, the cool narrow streets each telling a thousand stories of their own, breathing in the energy of centuries and centuries lost in the past, then your holiday will surely be something invaluable and unforgettable.

3. Take a chance to have a little laugh at our antiquated parliaments. Especially the British one. It may be occassionally put on USA television comedy channels, but believe it or not, it´s our system of government. If you visit London, you could take the opportunity to see the British government in action. It´s a lot of old men. Sat around, sleeping and muttering. It´s a weird system yes, but think of all it´s achieved! Free health care, a totally independent press, a welfare state… You always have to have the appearance of being fired up and go-getting in order to make great things happen.

Vacations aren´t an optional luxury. Most European governments make them totally, unavoidably obligatory. Our bodies need them, and even our productivity at work benefits from taking a couple of weeks break. With home exchange there aren´t even great costs! It´s a win-win situation!

We usually associate the idea of ´holiday´ with a melting Caribbean sun. Maybe some gentle sliding tides, and lounging about on the white sand shaded by some giant friendly coconuts. Yet, for some, vacations can bring as much stress as they ease away. There are a variety of reasons for this, and it is important to be aware of them before planning the holiday, and when you are out there enjoying it.

So let´s look at some of the causes of holiday stress, and how you can avoid them with HomeExchange.

Fatigue.

So as to not waste the opportunity of seeing everything that a new corner of the world has to offer, it´s often tempting to rush around like a headless chicken, cramming in every last culture experience you can into the time you have. This can often result in early starts, long walks, long periods standing or driving, arguments, and a sense of time pressure. With home exchange, you can avoid this by making better and more effective plans about your holidays in advance. You can talk with your exchange partner, and get a real feel for the area guided by a real veritable local native! Over email or messaging, you can discuss your interests, and the things that appeal to you the most. Then, with the feedback from your exchange partner, you can start to sift through the plans that would satisfy you and be worthwhile. This way, you will maximise your time away and spend those creamy days enjoying a balanced schedule. Also, you won´t have to worry about early starts brought on my hotel evacuation procedures!

Financial limitations.

A common cause of stress during vacations is caused by the difference between the imagined, ideal PLAN for the holiday, and the actual reality of it. Even if you´re not one to kick back and treat yourself to just about anything you fancy when you´re on vacation, financial restraints are often a cause of stormy trouble. Also, even if you´re not stopped from doing the things you want to do, there can something be a sense of dissatisfaction that you´ve “spent all this money” and aren´t actually enjoying it as much as you hoped. At homeforhome, whilst we can´t guarantee that everything will turn out precisely as you expected, we can guarantee that you won´t be stressed out about the massive costs of the vacation. As the only thing you will have to pay for will be the travel, you won´t be pouring away hundreds on the accommodation. Without a doubt, this takes a massive financial burden off the holiday, which will rule out one of the commonest causes of vacation stress. Also, your exchange partner can tell you the cheapest and best places to eat, where to get your food, which free activities are available, and where to avoid because it´s too expensive.

Unrealistic expectations.

Another reason people can sometimes feel a sense of irritation or melancholy whilst abroad, is because they are trying to recreate a ´perfect holiday´ that they had in the past. We like to think that by doing a home exchange, you will have such a new and unique experience, that you won´t be disappointed by any aspect of the holiday. What with being in totally new surroundings, having your own new little home to live in, and with all the guidance and friendliness afforded by a home swap, you won´t have any sense of nostalgia for a past holiday. Everything will be so different, new and exciting that your home exchange won´t simply be giving you a break - it will give you a break from the monotony of other vacation habits!

So if you´ve ever felt the sticky disappointment of a holiday somehow gone wrong, you´ll understand what we mean. With home-exchange you can look forward to having a holiday free of the usual risks of stress.