Misstropolis

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The New Calgon: Girls Take Me Away!

by Robin Hauck

Email to a friendPrint this article

If you could coax a genie out of a lamp right now, what would you wish for? A trip to Harry Winston? Sex, a corner office, a new body, a different car? Or would you use your wishes on extra hours in the day – for downtime, napping or a little escape?

I know exactly what I would ask for, and it doesn’t come in a box with a pretty ribbon. I would give almost anything for more time. And though I sometimes feel like there is no way in the world any other woman could be juggling as much as sleep deprived, multi-tasking me (!) it seems I’m not going to be martyred anytime soon. Time fatigue is a national epidemic.

Holly Moore, a partner with Yankelovich in Chapel Hill, NC, one of the top marketing consultancies in the world, says their research shows more women choosing the latter than ever before. Stress is up, time to pursue dreams is down, and one of the biggest challenges for modern women is to push back against that societal runaway train and take time to take care of themselves.

“We are paying the price for our lifestyles,” Moore says. “Sleep is the new black.”

Yankelovich’s research, recently published in the MONITOR, the longest running tracking of consumer trends in the country, also shows that more than in previous decades, intangibles like relationships, satisfaction, and feeling one’s “best” are as important to women as material things. Even with more demands on their time - or possibly because of the overwhelming demands on their time - women now want to focus on things they feel add true value to life: in the 80’s that might have been a penthouse apartment, but today reuniting with close friends or doing nothing for a weekend might top the list.

Yankelvich’s surveys show that for women, integrity is increasingly valued more highly than success; and one of the coolest results of these shifts is the surge in Girl Getaways.

Sometimes the only way to relax is to get away from daily routine. American Express Travel did a consumer survey of 470 women and found that an overwhelming majority (82%) say they “never” check in with the office while away with friends. 64% went so far as to say escaping their routine made them feel liberated. Amen to that ladies!

Girls’ trips are for reconnecting, recharging and remembering how to forget about the clock. And you don’t have to book a week at Canyon Ranch to get away. Jumping off that train if only for a day or two, or even an hour for a cup of coffee, can be enough to make a big difference.

As Marybeth Bond, author of several women’s travel books, including “50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America,” put it, “I have never regretted any trip I took… only the trips I didn’t take.”

In our next issue, we look more closely into the issue of why vacations are so important with Joe Robinson, founder of the Work to Live Vacation Campaign.