Norman Sussman | psychiatrist | David Yamins | massages

For those who really can't convince themselves to take serious time off, weekend mini-vacations at home can help one get far away from the work mentality, if not far from the workplace. "Sometimes, actually, it's much more relaxing to get away from it all if you don't have to travel," says psychiatrist Dr. Norman Sussman.

THE SOLITARY SELF-INDULGENT WEEKEND AT HOME: It can be as luxe as a full-day spa visit, featuring serious, non-fluffy massages and other treatments appropriate to the working warrior, followed by a comparative caviar taste test: all you can eat of all three top varieties (sevruga, osetra, and beluga).

Or it can be as low-budget as a home video fest. But don't stint with the usual one flick, instructs Dr. David Yamins, another psychiatrist. "Bring home 10 and spend the whole weekend watching. And make popcorn."

The idea either way is "to do whatever you do in a grand style, as fully as you can, to force your mind far from your normal routine," Yamins says.

THE ROMANTIC WEEKEND AT HOME: Full-family vacations are great, but kids can take over your life just as work does, says Sussman: "I think it's very important for couples to take a weekend off, just by themselves, every few months."

So pack the rug rats off to Grandma's and become a tourist in your own city. Do a little research in guidebooks or on the Net, as visitors would, and explore new neighborhoods or restaurants together. "And if you have the money," he adds, "it can be very romantic and great fun to walk a few blocks from your house and check into a hotel."

But don't expect honeymoon fireworks in the bedroom, Manevitz cautions. Be realistic. "People can't just turn on and off intimacy, no matter how romantic a destination is; it's not just the place," he says. You can, however, enhance the sensual setting by transporting yourselves mentally to your courting days: "Make the same effort you would have then to be interested in what interests each other." - B.