I read somewhere that last year many people did not go on vacation fearing being absent from work could make them eligible for crisis cuts. But, even if you think that is a fair reason not to enjoy that precious relaxing time, there is also a drawback: more stress can lead to less productivity and this may be a stronger reason to make the cut list. From this point of view, vacations seem to be a good choice to stay on top of things. If you want your next home exchange vacation to be as relaxing as it can possibly be, you need to plan and take care of the details, but once you are in you swap destination you can leave your worries behind with any of these ideas for relaxation:

1. Reserve time to get immersed in your hobbies.

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2. Take it easy and slow down.

3. Read a book.

4. Enjoy a meal out.

5. Sleep in.

6. Go to bed really (really) late.

7. Take a walk.

8. Watch your favourite movie again (more than once if you want!).

9. Enjoy your family and friends.

10. Turn the music up.

11. Forget about your laptop and cell-phone (at least for most of the day).

12. Get a massage.

13. Take a nap whenever you feel like it.

14. Take off your watch.

15. Have a late breakfast.

16. Go dancing.

17. Watch the sunset.

18. Make yourself some hot chocolate if it rains.

19. Talk to strangers.

20. Do nothing for a couple of hours.

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!

In the days before 24 hours news, people tended to worry less, let´s say. Going out bike riding in the country wasn´t riddled with so many dark fears of harmful predators lurking in the bushes. Similarly, the reign of the indoor multimedia exercise-killers wasn´t so rife. Video-games, DVDs, television, games consoles and the internet weren´t there to distract us and our children from getting outside into the clear air in order to enjoy being alive. But now, times have changed. It is often reported that our children are a little on the flabby side, unfit, and declining in strength and motivation. So taking your kids away on a holiday is something that can not only stimulate their interest in sport and outdoor activities, but it can also spark their interest in playing and seeing children and things from different parts of the world. Just by playing with kids, and showing them new sites, smells and sounds, you set astir their imaginations.

Home exchange is a very safe and cheap way of taking your kids abroad. You can watch over them in the home, go on bike rides together, go and see the local sites, integrate into the local neighbourhood so that they can make new friends…

In order to maximise your trip if you´re travelling with children, we suggest that you:

Plan lots of breaks in the activities that you do, and aim for less activities than you would if you were only going with adults.

Make sure you include plenty of stops for meals and drinks to stave off dehydration and keep the energy levels up.

Keep the adult activities for the morning, and do the less demanding children´s activities in the afternoon.

Take advantage of the local activities such as swimming, parks, playgrounds, theme parks, cinema or attractions.

Plan relaxation time for yourself. Remember to organise some activitites where your children are looked after by other people, or playing with other children, so that you can pack in a break for yourself too.

If your children aren´t yet at school age, you can always take a holiday outside of the peak seasons. Home exchange is flexible and you can do it whenever is convenient for you and your exchange partner. This way you can get cheaper flights, and attractions will be at off-peak rates.

Involve the kids in the planning of the holiday. Whilst taking a vacation is very exciting, it can sometimes make children a little nervous, especially if they find changes in routine difficult. So often it can be a good idea to show the children some photos beforehand, and get them involved in the planning. If you´re going to a foreign country, you can teach them some words and phrases before you go. This way, they can really get engrossed in the trip. They can point out to you things that appeal to them, and this way you can make plans that will keep everybody entertained.