10 Ways To Make Every Day A Vacation Day

Used all of your vacation days by April 1? Forgot to chip in on the weekend beach house rental? Avoiding the lunchroom because you don’t want to hear who’s going where next week? Don’t despair. Here are 10 ways to put a little getaway into every day.

1. Pack a beach towel in your briefcase. Take a 15-minute break from your desk and sit outside in the sun. If anyone asks, explain that your doctor recommended it as therapy for your low Vitamin D levels. If they continue to pry, gently remind them of the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

2. Take an outdoor shower. Nothing feels better than showering under an open sky. If you don’t have one, a garden hose will do. Grab a bar of soap (Try “Sea Vegetable” from LUSH – smells like lime and seaweed.), lather up and let the sun dry you off. Then, take a bow for the neighbors.

3. Hang a collage of vacation photos on your office wall. Give yourself 3 minutes to stare at them and daydream. It worked wonders for Walter Mitty.

4. Replace your watch with bangles. When you look at your wrist to see if you can finish the monthly report before you meet with the auditors, you’ll be reminded to calm down because you’re on beach time today.

5. Create a vacation playlist for your commute. Pick songs that scream “summer” for you. Maybe it’s those cheesy hits from your camp days in the ’70’s (“The Night Chicago Died“? “Seasons in the Sun“?). Or the reggae from your favorite Bahamian tiki bar. Cue it up and everything will be alright.

6. Eat the Breakfast of Champions. Prep a resort-style breakfast. Not an all-you-can-eat pork fest, but some yogurt, muesli, and fresh fruit. Heck. One mimosa won’t hurt a bit.

7. Indulge in trash reading. I always grab the latest Vanity Fair before hopping on a plane. Maybe your guilty pleasure is People or Us. Go ahead and catch up on the Kardashians. I judge you not.

8. Sniff the scent of the season. Swap your perfume or cologne for a summer smell. I’m a huge fan of Bobbi Brown’s Beach. One spray is all you need to put you in a summer frame of mind. Or find a lavender linen spray and freshen your office chair and carpet.

9. Master a classic resort cocktail. Whatever your pleasure – planter’s punch, mai tai, piña colada – find and follow an actual recipe. Use the right glass and accessorize it to death – maraschino cherry, paper umbrella, orange slice. Sip. Relax. Repeat.

10. Trade your briefcase for a beach bag.  You don’t have to be Ms. Fortune 500 every day. Put away the leathers and grab a French market basket or a jaunty little bag from Target.  You’ll put a beach bounce in your stride with this simple swap.

Physically, you’re still tethered to your desk. But, mentally? You’re composing a postcard to your office mates. Wish you were here.