Rx: Pampering

Your doctor isn’t likely to write you a prescription for a daily dose of pampering any time soon, but that doesn’t mean you should overlook the importance of taking time for yourself every day—yes, every day. The next time you’re tempted to forego your late night bubble bath because there are too many other demands on your time, stop and remind yourself that recharging your batteries is a necessity, not a frill.

Need convincing?. We’ve assembled the evidence to prove why engaging in relaxing activities is good for your mind, body, and soul.

1. Improve your sex life. Stress isn’t an aphrodisiac, so anything you do to relax and unwind can only be good for your sex life. And besides, a good old- fashioned roll in the hay can give your overall health a boost: in addition to promoting relaxation and leaving you with a general sense of well-being, sex can help you to fight off infection, burn fat, avoid depression, do battle with menstrual cramps, and ward off migraines. Heck, it’ll even give your skin a healthy glow.

2. Give your body a break Learning how to relax reduces the wear and tear on your body. In fact, studies have shown that meditation and other relaxation methods can help to relieve pain, lower both your blood pressure and your heart rate, and may even reduce your risk of heart attack.

3. Get a good night’s sleep Anxiety can trigger insomnia and other sleep-related problems. Reducing tension will reap big dividends in the wee hours of the morning. Your best bets? A trip to the gym and/or a late-night soak in the tub. Just be sure to finish working out at least a couple of hours before bedtime. Otherwise, your post-workout energy burst could sentence you to a night of tossing and turning.

4. Boost your immunity Chronic exposure to stress weakens your immune system, leaving you more susceptible to colds and other infections. Excessive stress has also been known to trigger flare-ups of arthritis and asthma as well as urinary tract infections. Building relaxing activities into your day means you’ll be sick less often.

5. Banish PMS symptoms Research has shown that stress reduction and meditation can help decrease the severity of PMS symptoms. What better way to convince family members that it’s in their best interest for you to take time for yourself?

6. Become stress resistant It’s difficult to cope with life’s ups and downs if you’re perpetually running on empty. You’ll be better equipped to handle stress if you replenish your stores on a regular basis.

7. Keep your cool If you’re feeling rejuvenated, you’re less likely to react with an angry outburst the next time someone cuts you off in traffic or forgets to change the toilet paper roll. By using your timeout to read a good book, go walking with a friend or work at a hobby, you’ll be in a better position to cope with the challenges of daily living.

8. Get happy Working fun into your day opens up the possibility for more laughter in your life. Laughter has been proven to reduce stress, improve mood, enhance creativity, reduce pain, improve your immunity, and bring down your blood pressure.

9. Live long and prosper All work and no play makes for a shorter life. Working for years without taking time off for a vacation puts you at risk for an early death, according to a group of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh. So if you really need an excuse to book that getaway you’ve been postponing, just tell your travel agent that you’re following doctor’s orders.