| Prescription for a happy marriage: one cup of tea or | | | | body clock) a half-hour earlier, you can give yourselves |
| coffee, to be taken each morning before rising.Sounds | | | | time to spend together, uninterrupted. You now have |
| simple, doesn't it? And yet every year thousands of | | | | the best part of the day to spend with the person you |
| couples head for the divorce courts, or make | | | | love!Take it in turns to be the one to get up and make |
| pre-nuptial agreements in the expectation that the | | | | the tea or coffee, and make it into an occasion by |
| marriage will fail.One factor contributing to this | | | | having special mugs or cups that you only use for this |
| breakdown in relationships is the greater stress | | | | first cup of the day, or choose a special blend which |
| caused by uncertainty about job security, financial | | | | you only have in the morning -- better still, make a |
| worries, political instability and so on. Constant worry | | | | herbal tea. Select something light and refreshing so |
| about money, fear of redundancy and continual | | | | that you'll have a spring in your step when you get |
| pressure to devote more and more time to work can | | | | up.This is your time together -- to natter about nothing |
| leave a marriage stretched to breaking point.It's no | | | | in particular or to make your grand plans. Lying in bed, |
| co-incidence that the age when most divorces occur | | | | sipping your tea and knowing you don't have to fly out |
| is also the age when couples are beset by other | | | | of bed as soon as your eyes open, relaxes you |
| concerns such as establishing a career, raising and | | | | without any effort on your part.You don't need to |
| educating children and paying off a mortgage.Hectic | | | | practice any special breathing techniques, because |
| Lifestyle Leaves Little Time for Each OtherEven if you | | | | you'll be breathing slowly; you don't need to |
| feel relatively secure financially, living in the first year of | | | | concentrate on relaxing different muscle groups - |
| the new century creates pressures unknown even a | | | | they're already relaxed.GETTING UPSometimes, you'll |
| decade ago.You're now expected to be available to | | | | be so relaxed that you may be tempted to stay just a |
| the whole world -- 24 hours a day -- via the Internet, | | | | few minutes more.Don't do it.Don't spoil the mood |
| mobile phones, answering machines and lap-top | | | | you've created for yourselves by lying in and then |
| computers.One of you always seems to be working | | | | having to rush through the morning. Your stress levels |
| late or bringing work home; you feel obliged to give | | | | will go up and you'll be blaming each other for being |
| your children all the opportunities their friends have so | | | | late.Turn on the radio when you wake up and make it |
| you ferry them to music lessons, sports training and | | | | part of your routine that you get up after a particular |
| the movies with their pals. As a modern couple, you | | | | broadcast; it's always easier to have an external |
| also have your individual sport or hobby commitments; | | | | trigger like this, and it saves one of you having to be |
| you may be involved in volunteer work with a charity | | | | the "bad guy" who decides it's time to get up.LASTING |
| group or the children's school; coaching the basketball | | | | BENEFITSBy easing yourself gently into your day, you |
| team or serving in the school canteen ... and so it goes. | | | | avoid a great deal of stress. The extra time you've |
| And that's not even taking into account running the | | | | made not only allows you to spend an extra precious |
| house, the garden, the menagerie of pets ... and then | | | | time together, it also relaxes you for the day |
| there's your family and friends ...It seems as if you | | | | ahead.Whenever you feel yourself getting tense |
| never have time to draw breath, to slow down, to talk | | | | through the day, take a deep breath; remember how |
| to each other.While the causes of the resulting stress | | | | relaxed you felt lying in bed sipping your tea; smile; try |
| may be largely out of your hands, the way you react | | | | to recapture the actual physical feeling of relaxation |
| to it is completely up to you. Stress is a bit like steam in | | | | and smile again when you realise that you have that |
| a kettle, it builds up until it finally blows the lid off, unless | | | | special time to look forward to again |
| the pressure is relieved. You can let pressure build up | | | | tomorrow!Jennifer Stewart is a freelance writer. She |
| in your life until you finally "blow your top" or, you can | | | | and her husband have been married (to each other) |
| take positive action to release it.THE EARLY | | | | for 37 years and have two adult children. |
| MORNING CUPPABy setting your alarm clock (or | | | | |