Americans spend more time working than people in other countries, so they have a tendency to want to pack those two short weeks full of everything they've dreamed of doing over the past year. The problem is that this kind of vacation can actually be more stressful than working, and the real relaxation starts when the car is unpacked and everything returns to normal.

The trick to vacationing can be found in the term balance. Living a balanced life, eating balanced meals, and balancing exciting activities with a proper portion of relaxation time is important for a restful and rejuvenating vacation. Cramming too much into a short period of time because there is limited time available isn't the way to relax.

Taking that trip to Disney one year and spending a quiet and restful time at a lake nearer to home the following year could be the answer to the balance issue.

When you're restricted to a short period of time in which to recharge your batteries, you need to carefully decide how you will spend that time in order to get the most value from it. This requires actual thinking and planning. Taking the time to think about the objective of a vacation may help you to understand that it's not always about glamour and excitement; sometimes it's about quiet relaxation, where simple pleasures are the trail that leads to an invigorated body and a restored soul.