Not a location. Not a suitcase. Not even PTO. It’s a mindset. And here’s how to activate it—even when your Google Calendar says otherwise.
Let’s set the record straight: vacation isn’t something you take. It’s something you do.
It’s not a flight confirmation, a passport stamp, or a tiny umbrella in your drink (although those help). It’s a full-body shift into choosing ease, color, slowness, and joy—on purpose. Which means: yes, you can “vacation” from your kitchen. Or your backyard. Or even at your desk, 14 minutes before a Zoom call you’re not emotionally prepared for.
The mistake we make is waiting for vacation to begin externally. A destination. A deal. A suitcase full of clothes we “save for later.” But what if you could access that energy now—not as a break from your life, but as a better way to live it?
Here’s how to flip the switch.
Start dressing like your OOO is a personality trait.
You know the version of you that shows up when you’re officially on vacation? The one who wears color without hesitation, oversized accessories without apology, and struts around in something flowy with “no plans” energy? That person is not fictional. She just got stuck under a pile of neutrals and task lists.
Let her out.
Clothes change how you feel. You don’t need a beach to wear a caftan or wide-brim hat. You need the mindset. Sunshine Tienda gets this—everything they make is designed to feel like a souvenir from the version of you who’s living slower, lighter, and with better earrings. If a bold striped hat or color-drenched tunic helps you tap into that energy? Wear it on a Tuesday. To the grocery store. With zero shame.
Romanticize the crap out of your everyday.
You don’t need a new location. You need new eyes.
On vacation, everything feels heightened: your coffee, your playlist, your post-shower body oil. Why? Because you’re paying attention. So start now.
Turn your lunch into a picnic. Put your phone on airplane mode for an hour—no plane needed. Open a window. Burn incense. Eat something out of a bowl that makes you feel like you’re in a Spanish countryside. Sprinkle in the colors, textures, and patterns that remind you of the last time you felt free.
Sunshine Tienda’s playful patterns are a perfect hack here. You don’t even have to go anywhere—just wear something that makes your mirror wink back at you like, “Yes, this is a good life.”
Borrow energy from Vacation You.
You know her. She’s spontaneous. She’s breezy. She doesn’t obsess over Slack notifications or second-guess every emoji.
Ask yourself: What would Vacation Me do?
Would she eat at her desk, or go outside barefoot with chips and salsa? Would she stress over that passive-aggressive email, or would she set it down and finish her iced coffee in the sun?
Your alter ego has a lot to teach you. You don’t have to wait until your out-of-office is on to start channeling her.
Plan a micro-escape, and protect it like it’s roundtrip airfare.
If you can’t take a full vacation, fine. But can you block off one afternoon that feels sacred? Turn off your notifications. Wear something breezy. Play tropical jazz if that’s your thing. Turn your living room into a resort. Heck, wear your Sunshine Tienda sunhat indoors if it helps. (It will.)
You’re not being silly. You’re building a practice of joy.
Curate your screen time like you’re planning a getaway.
Feed your brain images that make it feel good. Swap doomscrolling for visual escapism—vacation vlogs, punchy fashion, dreamy playlists. Follow people who wear color like it’s a life skill. Watch someone cook in an open-air kitchen. Read something slow.
You don’t need to check out—you need to tune in, differently.
Say no faster.
Vacation You doesn’t overbook herself. She doesn’t guilt-trip herself into events she doesn’t want to go to. She’s protective of her peace. Start practicing that now—no excuse necessary.
Vacation is a verb. It’s not somewhere you go. It’s how you choose to move through the day—with presence, pleasure, and a little more color.
Let your wardrobe help you. Let your accessories remind you. Let brands like Sunshine Tienda be a nudge in the right direction—not because you need more, but because you need to remember what already feels good.
So wear the earrings. Eat the fruit. Say no.
And maybe—just maybe—put on that hat for no reason at all.
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