Summers are short where I live, essentially just two months of longer days and warm, sunny weather. Many take summer holidays while others revert to a more relaxed, laid-back approach, leaving work early to get in a round of golf, taking a few extra long weekends to get away to the mountains or having more coffees and lunches with friends and colleagues, in an outdoor cafe if possible.

Interestingly, even with a more laissez-faire attitude, people often find that their work does not suffer. They still fit their meetings in, projects get handled and goals get met. People don’t feel so pressured, anxious and busy but are still productive. How is this possible? What if we could stay in holiday mode all year round?

When we think of a vacation, we often think of physical relaxation: lying on a beach, lounging in a deck chair or taking strolls. But mental relaxation happens too, we feel calmer, have less on our minds and let thoughts about ‘back at the office’ go. We know there is work waiting but we can set it aside, we pay more attention to our surroundings, enjoy new places and experiences and make space in our lives for who and what we love.

As it turns out, we don’t have to be on vacation to be in a vacation state of mind. A relaxed state of mind is free of overthinking, over-analyzing and over-obsessing. A vacation state of mind takes things as they come, not getting ahead of itself with what needs to be done in the future. A holiday state of mind is free to be in and enjoy the present moment whether at work or at play. You are not putting pressure on yourself to accomplish more, don’t feel guilty about taking it a little easier and are not so tempted to compare your progress with others.

A vacation state of mind is not so much about being on holiday, it’s understanding that a calm, relaxed, quieter mind makes your work less stressful and more enjoyable while still being creative, effective and productive.