BY ANGELA HAUPT
GOING ON VACATION EVERY week might sound like the (very unattainable) dream. But a simple mindset shift can make it happen—no travel involved.
All you need to do is get in the habit of treating your weekend like a vacation, suggests Cassie Mogilner Holmes, a professor at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.
A few years ago, Holmes and her colleagues began exploring the importance of taking vacations, which are correlated with improved health, creativity, job performance, and life satisfaction. Yet only 48% of U.S. workers use all their vacation days, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center. “Initially we were like, ‘How do we get more people to take their vacations?’” Holmes says. “But then we realized, we actually have breaks in our lives already.” Presenting: the weekend.
In a series of experiments, Holmes’ team instructed 441 U.S. workers to either spend the weekend like they would any other, or treat it like a vacation. When they were back at work on Monday, people who had adopted a vacation mindset reported being happier, less stressed and worried, and more satisfied than those who had had a regular weekend.
“What was somewhat surprising is that the effect wasn’t driven by people spending their time all that differently,” Holmes says. “It was this mindset that allowed them to be more present—instead of being in ‘doing’ mode, it allowed people to settle in and be in the moment.”
We asked experts to share their favorite tips for adopting a vacation mindset at home.
1. Get creative about making time
Not everyone has Saturday and Sunday (or any two consecutive days) off work—and some people are beholden to weekend schedules packed with obligations. You could still apply the philosophy to, say, a Thursday evening, Holmes suggests. Or, designate an hour on Sunday morning for chores—but protect the rest of the weekend as your vacation time.
2. Reflect on p
