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LIVE WELL

Peppermint oil.
 by Mayank

Your Guide to Essential Oils

For centuries, essential oils have been used for a large variety of cosmetic and medicinal purposes. Knowing which essential oils to use for your specific concerns can be a bit overwhelming if you’ve never tried them before. Here, we’ve listed our top three essential oils that are perfect if you’re looking to learn more about how essential oils can benefit your overall health.

Lavender oil

Lavender
Lavender is one of the most widely used essential oils and rightly so because it is a versatile essential oil. Perhaps the most frequent use of lavender essential oil is to soothe emotional stress and increase feelings of relaxation. Lavender can help to release nervous tension, and relieve symptoms of depression. Physically, lavender helps to reduce inflammation in your body and can help alleviate headaches or migraines. Lavender is one of the essential oils that can be used safely on your skin and a few drops on your wrist or the nape of your neck may help to soothe you and eliminate headaches. If you have difficulty sleeping, add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a spray bottle filled with water. Mist lightly on your pillow before going to bed.

Peppermint
Peppermint is another hugely versatile essential oil providing benefits that range from headache and nausea relief to stimulating alertness. Stomach related uses for peppermint oil include relieving an upset stomach or indigestion, reducing motion sickness and even helping to curb your appetite. If your stomach is upset, try rubbing a few drops of peppermint oil onto your abdomen or dab onto your wrists. Simply inhaling peppermint oil’s scent can help you feel more full, but you can also place a bit on your wrists or a tiny (seriously an itty bitty drop) right under your nose before eating. Peppermint oil is also used to treat stress; place a few drops in a diffuser and feel the tension melt away. Another incredibly common use of peppermint oil is to eliminate headaches and stimulate energy. Place a few drops on the nape of your neck to take care of your headache and re-energize yourself.

Tea tree oil.

Tea Tree
Tea tree is not an essential oil that is commonly associated with aromatherapy, but it has incredible benefits. This essential oil is used frequently to treat skin problems such as blemishes, dandruff, athlete’s foot and minor cuts, scrapes and burns. While some can tolerate this oil directly on the skin without dilution, it’s generally recommended to add a few drops of tea tree oil to water or a carrier oil (such as jojoba or sweet almond oil) before applying to your skin. Once you have diluted the tea tree oil, rub onto cuts, massage into scalp or apply on blemishes. You can also add a few drops to your shampoo to receive anti-dandruff benefits without having to purchase an entirely new shampoo. A mixture of tea tree oil and water in a spray bottle is also a great way to sanitize beauty products such as tweezers or makeup brushes due to the antibacterial properties in tea tree oil.

It is important to note that while many essential oils are considered safe for skin, some like tea tree or bergamot may burn skin. Always do a patch test on skin before using an essential oil topically to be sure you won’t have a negative reaction. Other ways to use essential oils include diffusers, sprays or simply opening a bottle and inhaling. Our lifestyle partner, 21 Drops, offers custom essential oil blends to keep you energized, calm, happy and healthy.

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Woman painting
 by Mayank

Live Well: Ways to Instantly Improve Your Mood

If you’ve ever thought to yourself that it will nice to be happy someday, listen up. You don’t have to make happy an abstract goal for your future, you can do things to make yourself happy in the next few minutes. We put together three of the quickest and easiest ways you can instantly improve your mood no matter where you are or what you’re doing.

Woman sitting besides a pond.

Head Outside
You know the saying ‘you’re only one workout away from a good mood?’ It’s completely true, but it can be difficult to increase physical activity during periods of depression or great stress. Even if you don’t have added feelings of lethargy from depression, it can be difficult to find time for a workout in the middle of your workday when you find yourself stressed and anxious. Taking a brisk walk can significantly boost your mood and energy levels, and venturing outside for your walk is even more beneficial. Research points to the fact that sunlight stimulates chemicals in your brain that help improve your mood. You don’t have to spend your entire lunch hour outside working up a sweat, just a 10-minute brisk walk is all you need to feel reinvigorated. And if you absolutely can’t get outside due to location or weather, spend some time roaming the office halls or walking the stairs for a quick burst of energy.

Chamomile Tea.

Drink Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea has long been a bedtime remedy for those who have trouble falling asleep and recent studies show that drinking this tea really is effective at reducing anxiety or feelings of stress. In a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, 57 participants who had been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder were given chamomile supplements for a period of eight weeks. The results were a significant drop in anxiety levels and increased feelings of calm. Research from the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests that in addition to promoting calm, chamomile tea can promote sleep. Drink a cup of chamomile tea after a hectic work meeting in the afternoon or at the end of the day to promote peaceful, calm feelings or to really unwind, turn off your electronic devices (yes, including the TV and your cell phone) and enjoy a cup nightly with a book or your favorite music playing. This helps create a ritual that your body associates with feelings of rest and relaxation.

Aromatherapy oils.

Use Aromatherapy
For centuries, aromatherapy and essential oils have been used to address a vast number of concerns that include soothing ailments both physical and mental. The next time your mood declining, try one of the following essential oils. Lemon is particularly helpful when you are feeling angry, anxious or rundown and exhausted because it promotes concentration in addition to containing calming and clarifying properties. If you’re feeling sad or depressed, try jasmine. Jasmine, like lemon, also has a soothing effect, but it also helps lift your mood by increasing optimism, energy levels and confidence. When you need to really unwind and relax, reach for lavender because lavender soothes nerves, relieves nervous tension and can help control depression. One of our lifestyle partners, 21 Drops, features incredible, unique blends of essential oils in a fun and convenient packaging so you can take your essential oils with you wherever you go and not have to worry about spills or bulky glass containers.

It would be amazing to be calm, happy and energetic all the time, but that just isn’t very realistic. That doesn’t mean, however, that you have to just muddle through feelings of anxiety or depression. These three tips help you to instantly improve your mood, helping you to tackle stress and negativity in a positive way.

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Woman with the flu
 by Mayank

Live Well: 5 Feel Better Tips for Flu Season

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “it is estimated that in the United States, each year on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu-related complications.” You may just consider the flu an uncomfortable nuisance, but it can be quite severe. Flu season is just around the corner, so we’ve compiled a list of our five best feel better tips for flu season.

Vaccine.

Get Vaccinated Early
If you’ve ever been vaccinated with the flu only to end up in a bed for a week, it might be due to the timing of your flu vaccine. The flu vaccine takes roughly two full weeks to take effect, so if you head to your doctor in the middle of a nasty outbreak, you may end up coming down with the flu before your body has sufficient time to build antibodies. Keep in mind that the flu vaccine is not 100% effective at preventing the flu, but it is associated with lower hospitalization rates in both children and adults.

Washing hands.

Wash Your Hands
You hear this advice all the time, but with good reason. Sudsing up your hands and scrubbing them often is one of the best ways to prevent coming down with the flu. Dr. Fran Wallach, hospital epidemiologist at the Mount Sinai Hospital and associate professor Medicine, Infectious Diseases as the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai says, “[t]he two most important things you can do for yourself to avoid the flu is to get an actual flu vaccine and the second is to have good hand hygiene.” Your hands are in constant contact with germs and many viruses spread when your fingers make contact with your mouth or eyes. Washing your hands helps to eliminate that risk. If you can’t make it to a sink, it’s a good idea to carry hand sanitizer with an alcohol content of at least 60% on you so you can sanitize when you need to.

Washing hands with soap

Wash Your Hands…Correctly
When washing your hands, use warm water and soap and lather together for at least 20 seconds. As you lather, be sure to get under your nails, between your fingers, the fronts and backs of your hands and go up the wrist a bit. After 20 to 30 seconds, rinse and then dry with a dryer or paper towels. Avoid using shared towels, where germs and bacteria can grow. If you’re using hand sanitizer, be sure to use enough to thoroughly cover the hands (about a nickel sized amount) and rub the solution into your hands for 15 to 20 seconds.

Woman walking on a treadmill.

Get Moving
Engaging regularly in moderate exercise is associated with a stronger immune system and the CDC recommends being active as one way to combat getting sick. Take advantage of the beautiful fall scenery with a hike or park as far away as possible at the mall when doing your holiday shopping to get some extra walking in. If you feel like hitting the gym, head over to the treadmill for some brisk walking, use the stair-climber or sign up for a yoga class.

Woman down with the flu.

Stay Home
Taking a sick day sometimes seems like a complete luxury, but during flu season it’s best to think of staying away from work as a necessity. Not getting enough sleep in itself is a factor in contracting the flu because lack of sleep is associated with lower immune functions, so it’s extra important to be sure that you are getting plenty of sleep when you do have the flu. But staying home isn’t only about you and your rest. The flu can be active in your body without you experiencing any symptoms of the illness and by the time you do display flu symptoms, you are definitely contagious. Avoid getting sicker and infecting those around you by taking a few sick days to fully rest and recuperate. When you absolutely must leave your home, be sure to cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing (into your elbow is the recommended method).

Healthy habits and good hygiene are two of the most important factors when it comes to avoiding the flu this season. Children and the elderly are among those with the highest risk of catching the flu, so it is especially important to use these tips if you fall into, or if you care for someone who falls into, those categories. Using these five feel better tips helps you to survive flu season as healthy as possible.

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Woman taking a shower and shampooing her hair
 by Mayank

Why You Shouldn't Shower Daily

You may shower to wake you up in the morning or help you wind down at night and you probably look forward to doing so. Chances are you also do this on a daily basis. You may want to rethink your daily shower, as dermatologists deem doing so as potentially harmful to your skin. Dr. Ranella Hirsch, a Boston dermatologist, says “[w]e over bathe in this country and that’s really important to realize. A lot of the reason we do it is because of societal norms.” So, should you skip your daily cleansing ritual? Not necessarily. Resveralife researched the thoughts behind not showering each and every day and how to properly shower to protect your skin from damage.

Why Skip Showers
Dr. Casey Carlos, assistant professor of medicine in the division of dermatology at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, says “[p]eople don’t realize that the skin does a pretty good job of cleaning itself.” Still, our inclination is to do it ourselves daily in the shower. Carlos and other dermatologists advice showering less to keep skin at its healthiest.

How to Shower
You know how to shower; you’ve been doing it since you were a kid, but dermatologists suggest that perhaps it’s how you shower that does the most damage to your skin. The first thing you should be doing is lowering the temperature of the water. Hot showers may feel soothing and relaxing, but they also add to the damage your skin suffers in the shower. Use warm, not hot, water when you shower.

Your natural inclination is to step into the shower and lather up everything from your hair to the tips of your feet. “It’s the hardest thing to get people to use soap only where they need it,” says Dr. Casey Carlos. Soap is designed to remove oils from the skin, and sometimes it can do too good of a job. Using soap only on areas that need it (armpits, feet, and groin area) can help minimize the damage that showering does.

And, if you’re still washing your hair every day, you might want to give that up too. Shampoo, like soap, strips your hair of natural oils. If you must shampoo, use a gentle shampoo only at the roots of the hair because it will rinse down into the ends of your hair and clean them. Condition the mid to ends of your hair to avoid irritating the scalp with unnecessary heavy products.

Once out of the shower, moisturize immediately. Adding moisture back into the skin while it is still damp helps your skin to better absorb moisturizing products.

It may feel completely unnatural to not shower or shampoo daily, but you will get used to it. If you want to protect your skin but absolutely must have water to do so, consider taking a warm bath in between shower days. Soak for 10 to 15 minutes in warm water then moisturize afterward. Post workout use, refreshing pre-moistened cloths to keep yourself feeling fresh. Skipping your daily shower helps strengthen and take care of your skin.

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Woman looking at her phone in a beach.
 by Mayank

5 W's of Digital Detox

When was the last time that you took a break from all digital devices and just turned everything off for 24 hours? Chances are you don’t remember. Computers, smartphones, tablets and watches, among others, keep you constantly connected no matter where you are and what you’re doing. There are constant demands for your attention in the digital age and constantly responding to every notification, feed update or e-mail is not only overwhelming, it may be doing more harm than good. If you really can’t remember the last time you put technology away for an entire day, it’s time for you to consider a digital detox.

What is a Digital Detox?
A digital detox is pretty much what the name implies; unplugging from all digital technology for a set period of time. All devices (computers, tablets, laptops, smartphones, etc…) are switched off so you can enjoy some time away from the screens and focused on the other areas of your life that you may neglect. The amount of time you spend on a digital detox is up to you, but most experts recommend that you spend at least 24 hours away from all of your digital devices. It can be jarring to go from being updated on everything by the second to being completely screen-free, so start with 24 hours and work your way up to longer periods of time.

Woman working on a tablet.

When Should You Digital Detox?
The frequency of how often, and for how long, you participate in a digital detox is completely up to you. Realistically, there are times when being away from your work computer or your smartphone just isn’t an option, so pick a day where you know that you don’t have any obligations. If you have kids, then you may feel uneasy about keeping a phone off all day if kids are out of the house. If this is the case then either plan to have your kids spend the day with someone you trust implicitly, or make the detox a family event and spend some quality time reconnecting to one another.

Who Needs a Digital Detox?
Let’s face it, modern society is swept up in constantly checking social media accounts, news and entertainment sites, playing games or texting no matter where people are or what else is happening. Everybody can benefit from a digital detox now and then, especially you.

Beautiful resort.

Where do You do a Digital Detox?
The beauty of a digital detox is that you don’t need to go anywhere at all. You can keep technology off for 24 hours in the comfort of your own home and rediscover that book you’ve been meaning to read or tackling a home improvement project that you’ve been postponing. While some people think that digital detox is just a fad, there are others who take the idea very seriously. There is an increasing number of hotels, resorts and spas that are dedicated to providing a soothing, luxurious atmosphere that is completely free from digital distraction.

Why do a Digital Detox?
While staying connected every waking moment may seem like a productive way to spend your day, doing so can actually have adverse effects. When your attention is divided among so many different types of news, information and alerts, you are actually decreasing your attention span. A digital detox allows you to have conversations that reach a conclusion instead of just stopping because your phone is going off every five minutes. Additionally, a digital detox is an important way to make the loved ones in your life feel cherished. Spending time not staring at screens and actually making contact and allowing yourself to fully listen and pay attention during conversations shows those around you that you do value them. But perhaps most importantly, a digital detox gives you time to unwind, relax and recharge so that when you do return to work, you are returning more productive than before.

The idea of shutting everything off for 24 hours can be super overwhelming, but it provides so many benefits. To get the rewards a digital detox offers, practice resistance and leave everything off. A true digital detox does not allow “just checking one e-mail” or tweeting about your experience. Further, practicing a digital detox is not a once and done thing. You should aim to do so every few weeks in order to allow yourself to fully experience life and to return to your digital world with a fresh perspective.

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Human neuron
 by Mayank

The Cell Transformation that Could Transform Medicine

The treatment and management of diseases and conditions is one of the most heavily studied areas of science. New discoveries are made every day, some of which have the power to transform medical practices. A recent study by molecular and cellular biologists indicates that the way in which personalized medicine is practiced may truly transform. Scientists have been able to use gene insertion to transform one type of cell into another type of cell. Adding genes into the original cells is a highly intricate process that involves a significant time investment. Additionally, when using gene insertion to transform cells, there is the possibility one of the genes meant for insertion could end up on a chromosome and activate a cancer-causing gene. New studies published online by Cell Stem Cell states that scientists have successfully transformed skin cells into neurons without the use of gene insertion.

The Study
The studies published online by Cell Stem Cell assert that scientists have been able to transform one type of cell into another type of cell with a less invasive and time consuming process. The new transforming technique involves the addition of a specific set of chemicals to the cells. Gang Pei, a co-author of one of the studies and a biochemist at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences in China explains that the crucial element in this new way of transforming cells is the use of small molecule chemicals. These small molecule chemicals go into the cell and enter the nucleus of the cell, the part that contains DNA. From here, the small molecule chemicals are able to alter the activity of a gene. Pei, and the team he led, spent enormous amounts of time researching the exact chemical concoction that can transform cells; in the study they transformed skin cells into neurons. The specific group of chemicals used by Pei and his team are labeled VCRFSGY and these chemicals work in stages. VCRF, the first four chemicals, begin the process by altering physical traits on a gene known as Tuj1 (a gene that is specifically active in neurons). Without the last three chemicals, the altered cell exists in an ambiguous state being neither a skin cell nor a neuron. The SGY chemicals amplify the neurological development that VCRF initiated which results in cells that looked, and acted like, neurons.In a second study, researchers in China were able to achieve the same results in mice using different chemicals.

Why it Matters
With two separate studies, and two sets of chemicals, producing the same results, molecular and cell biologists believe that this process could compete with gene insertion in order to reprogram and transform cells. They believe that the process of using small molecule chemicals will especially benefit the field of personalized medicine. These study is exciting because with these processes, a patient’s own cells can be used to treat illnesses and other conditions. Pei’s team was able to transform skin cells from an Alzheimer’s patient into neurons that exhibited markers of Alzheimer’s disease. With this process, researchers would be able to safely and accurately research the disease and perform drug tests on the transformed cells without endangering the patient.

These studies indicate that medical research and development continues to reach new and exciting heights constantly, which provides the scientific community with hope that disease study will advance to the point where cures are possible. These studies are just the beginning of the powers of cell-transforming technology and only time will tell what will be possible in the future.

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Woman doing crunches
 by Mayank

Workouts to Transform Your Body

Getting the fit, lean and toned body you desire may seem impossible, particularly if you are just beginning an exercise regime. However, we promise that results are totally possible, and will come, if you stick with exercise and make it a regular habit. When it comes to diet and exercise there is always a new fad or trend circulating that promises the most amazing results in the shortest amount of time possible and some of these have components that truly do work, but it is still important to know that there is no magic cure-all that will give you instant health and the body you’ve always wanted. It will take work and discipline, but if you strive for progress not perfection, you will see your hard work pay off. That said, there are some workouts that truly can transform your body when you dedicate time in your day to exercise and use the techniques. Here are some of our favorite workouts that can help transform your body:

Yoga.

Yoga
Preconceived notions of yoga may have you questioning how yoga could help with weight loss and transforming your body, but bear with us. There are multiple research studies focusing on the health benefits of yoga and they include things such as encouraging weight loss and reducing obesity, decrease in risk of heart disease, relief from chronic pain and fighting fatigue. Although yoga may look like a bunch of stretching, there are multiple forms of yoga, each one with a targeted benefit. Hatha is perfect for beginners as it focuses on form, balance and flexibility, creating a great foundation on which to build. If you’re looking to drop pounds, check out a vinyasa class. Bikram, or hot yoga, is a great way to increase your flexibility since the heat loosens your muscles. Yoga will increase your health while transforming your body into a toned, lean body.

Tabata Interval Training
Interval training is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to quickly transform your body and with good reason. Research on Tabata Interval Training suggests that completing a round of these quick bursts of cardio with brief rest periods can make your body burn calories for up to 36 hours after you complete the workout! Maybe the best part of Tabata is that it takes only four minutes. Tabata consists of doing 20 seconds of intense cardio exercises followed by a 10 second rest period before moving on to the next burst of cardio. Keep your workout interesting by switching up the cardio exercises you do every so often.

Pilates

Pilates (The Plank)
Pilates is not the same as yoga, though there are some principles that are similar such as the focus on form, flexibility and breathing. Performing a Pilates routine requires concentration and engages your entire body from the core. The plank is one of the greatest exercises you can do for you waistline no matter how much you may hate the exercise when you first begin. Planks are better for your waist than traditional sit-ups or crunches because they utilize muscles deep in your stomach that have the most impact on your musculoskeletal health. There are plenty of variations to the plank that keep the exercise challenging. In addition to switching the plank you perform, you gradually add time to the length of your plank. For instance, beginners may want to start at 10 to 15 seconds and move to 20 to 30 seconds the following week.

The only workouts that will transform your body are the ones that you actually do consistently, so it may take a bit of trial and error before you find a workout that makes you excited about making changes in your body. Keep a positive attitude and trust that your body will transform if you remain dedicated to the change.

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Woman working out in a gym.
 by Mayank

Change How You Think – Make Working Out a Habit

You think about heading to the gym and working out. You may even plan out your exercise routine or when you are going to hit the gym. But somehow, those plans seem to fall by the wayside when it comes time for you to actually get moving. It doesn’t help that you have friends or know gym-goers that show up without fail every single day. Even more frustrating is that these fitness junkies actually like the process of exercise and look forward to this part of their day. While you mentally curse them for their dedication, you probably also wish that you could be more disciplined and more excited about your own exercise and now you can. A recent study published in the Health Psychology journal suggests that there really is a difference between those who consistently exercise and those that struggle with merely making time to head outside or to your gym, but don’t lose hope yet. Just because there is a difference between you and faithful gym-goers doesn’t mean that you can’t become one of the latter. The study suggests that you can learn to make exercise an essential part of your day.

What Sets Regular Exercisers Apart
The answer to what makes regular exercises different is frustratingly simple and you have probably heard it before. Those that workout without fail do not dread exercise and they don’t think of exercise as a chore that has to be done. It’s that difficult and that simple. Rather than thinking about exercise as one more thing that you have to cram into the day, consistent exercisers get active almost automatically; it is just a part of their daily routine. Those that exercise regularly receive cues, either internal or external, that signal it is time to get up and move. Some may respond to external sources, like the alarm going off in the morning, while others respond to an internal cue “I’m stressed from work and home obligations, it’s time to relieve some stress at the gym.”

In the study, the researchers referred to this tendency as the “instigation habit.” The researchers set out to find out whether the instigation habit would be indicative of people being able to stick to an exercise regime, and they definitely proved their hypothesis. In fact, the instigation habit was the only predictor that people would stick with exercise and that the more time spent exercising (for example going from the first month to the third), the stronger the instigation habit became. Why? Because it seems that exercisers with a high instigation habit do not think only of the work that awaits them when it’s time to exercise. They associate exercise and gym time with specific parts of their day; they hear their alarm in the morning and know it’s time to lace up the gym shoes. It isn’t only the exercise that the consistent gym-goers think of, they think of the entire experience of exercise, including that awesome post-workout high, as a habit they have cultivated, not as a chore that they have to cross off their to-do list.

Why it Matters
It seems like a great excuse (“I don’t intrinsically have a strong instigation habit so I shouldn’t even bother”), but it’s actually the reverse. If you weren’t blessed with a high instigation habit, it takes a bit more work on your part, but you absolutely can strengthen it. Beginning an exercise routine after a long break in physical activity (or a lifetime or inactivity) is by no means an easy task, but stick with it. The longer that you make regular exercise a part of your routine, the more you condition your mind to think of exercise as an essential part of your day.

The temptation to hit the snooze button or drive past the gym after a super long day at work is definitely great, but sticking to your exercise routine in the beginning makes it easier to make working out a lifelong habit. Physical activity is incredibly important for a healthy life and right now, it may not be your favorite thing to do. But if you can shift your thinking from “I hate this chore” to “oh, my alarm is going off, time to hit the gym,” you will be able to make exercise an essential part of your day, and your body will thank you.

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Friends having dinner in restaurant
 by Mayank

Our Favorite Night Out Ideas

There’s no escaping it: sometimes you just need a night out. Whether it is with your girlfriends or your significant other, a night out can be a great way to help reduce stress and increase happiness. Nothing is worse than making time for friends or your husband then having to face the question – what do you want to do? Grabbing dinner and heading to a movie are definitely fun ways to spend an evening, but that can get old. Keep your nights out, no matter who you’re headed out with, fresh and fun with a few of our favorite night out ideas.

Comedy Club
Part bar and all entertainment, your local comedy club is sure to be a blast. Comedy clubs are a great way to discover local talent, or to see one of your favorite comedians perform an awesome stand-up set. Plus, it gives you something to talk, and laugh, about on the ride home.

Woman sipping coffee and reading a book.

Coffee (or tea) and Books
Especially fun for bibliophiles, consider making your night out a completely relaxing, leisurely experience. Head to your favorite place for java (local or chain) and try a drink you’ve never had before. Your local bookstore is a great place to end the night, perusing the shelves and talking about one another’s interests. Bonus, most Barnes and Nobles have a Starbucks directly inside so you can maximize your relaxation by not worrying about running all over town.

Arcade
Get a little silly and engage in some friendly competition when you head to your local arcade. The great thing about arcades now is that you don’t have to hit up the mall and share space with a bunch of teenagers (unless you want to) anymore. Now, there are tons of establishments that feature a wide range of arcade games and activities while serving your alcoholic beverages and perfect arcade food, like pizza and nachos.

Cheese and wine in a winery

Tour a Brewery/Winery
Chances are you live near a brewery, or a local microbrewery, that conducts tours for the public. Often, after the tour, you are treated to a complimentary beer. If beer isn’t your thing, or if you just aren’t in the mood for it, visit a local winery. Sometimes, we get so stuck in drinking our favorite go-to wines that we totally forget to be adventurous and try new things. Taking a sip of local flavor is a fun way to enjoy the company of your best friends or your spouse.

Dance Lessons
When you want to let go and have fun with those around you, look into local dance courses. For couples, a ballroom class might be a fun way to connect with each other while sharing a new experience. If you’re heading out with the girls, try to find a local hip hop or jazz class to really get moving.

Your nights out, no matter who you go out with, are meant to be a way of touching base with those you care about and having some fun. Sharing new experiences and activities is a great way to spend an evening, and you’ll have plenty to talk about the next day. A little creativity, and a willing mindset, is all you need to create the perfect nights out.

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Couple on a date
 by Mayank

Why Date Night is So Important

Married couples, or those in long-term relationships, tend to settle into a comfortable rhythm. Your typical Friday night might be relaxing together after a stressful week with a full Netflix queue and a glass of wine or a beer. Don’t get us wrong, sometimes that is exactly what you need and is a fun way to spend time together. However, if this is all you do when it comes to “dating” as a couple, things are likely to get boring and stale. Often, we feel that making time for a date night, especially if children are involved in the relationship, is a luxury that we can’t afford whether it’s financially or when it comes to sparing time. Resveralife wants you to think of date night as a necessity, not a luxury. Making time for each other isn’t just fun, it actually strengthens your relationship.

Reconnecting
With demanding work schedules, social obligations and caring for kids, it’s easy to coast through each day without really taking the time to be with your partner. When you set aside a specific time for a date night, you are being intentional about spending time with your loved one as a couple. You don’t have to plan a fancy five-course dinner date, unless that’s what you want, to be able to really reconnect with your significant other. Take a picnic to the park, learn how to cook a new dish by taking a cooking class together or simply grab a drink together. The activity that you choose for your date night is less about the activity and more about the mindset you approach it with. Find something that you will both look forward to doing and approach it with the mindset that you are doing something together, as a couple, not just as roommates or parents. This helps remind you reconnect with one another in a way that is far more intimate than rehashing your day at the dinner table.

Romancing
Along with reconnecting with each other, it is important to keep the romance alive in a relationship. This can be hard to do after an exhausting day at work or running necessary errands on a weekend. Scheduling a date night gives you the chance to make each other feel special and wanted. A date night helps remind you of the time you spent together when you were first getting to know each other which can lead to bringing back some of the excitement and romance of your courtship. To make a date night even more romantic or special, dress up a bit. You don’t have to go all out, unless you want to, but taking a bit of time to primp signifies that this evening is different than just heading out for a quick bite to eat; it’s about being together as a couple and creating a closer, more romantic feeling between the two of you.

Relaxing
You spend your days constantly moving from one responsibility or task to the next. You are in a neverending state of doing. When you make time for a date night, you are choosing to stop “doing” for a bit and just spend some time “being.” A date night does not come with a to-do list and it should have only one real objective: to spend time being a couple. Taking the time to really listen to one another or really talk, not just in passing, gives you both an opportunity to feel heard, cared about and more relaxed.

It’s true, scheduling a date night can be difficult, but it really is important to your relationship. A special night that consists only of the two of you helps remind you why you fell in love with the other person in the first place. Ideally, you would have a date night every week, but we know that isn’t always a realistic possibility. Start by scheduling at least one date night a month to invest some time into each other and your relationship.

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