"Help! I can never just relax!"⁹

With so much day-to-day stress, it can be hard to shut off racing thoughts and truly unwindeven on vacation! Here, expert ways to cue calm

- Kristina Mastrocola

Let go of guilt
Outsmart hidden barriers

When you take a breather, pay extra attention to your narrative, urges expert Beth Kurland, Ph.D. “Your mind may say you have too much to do to rest, or that if you’re not doing enough, you are not enough.” If this is the case, she suggests reminding yourself that the messages we learned from society that women always need to be “doing” to be accepted are not true. “Just being aware of these scripts helps you loosen their grip.”

Focus on your why

“Women often tell me relaxing is too ‘luxurious’ or they don’t have time,” says expert Marlynn Wei, M.D. “But if you reframe it as a necessity with