(ARA) – Whether it’s Monday, mid-week or a weekend afternoon, it can feel as though life is always hectic. The workplace presents a busy environment, and even when you leave the office, household chores and everyday errands are often draining and time-consuming. Though it might feel like an indulgence, it’s surprisingly easy to cut back on stress by making some time each day to enjoy a mid-day getaway.
Just as with a true vacation, taking a few moments every day to relax and recharge allows you to come back to tasks at hand with better focus and more energy. Luckily, embarking on such an escape is as easy as switching up often-monotonous surroundings and indulging your senses in fun, unexpected ways.
For a quick, indulgent getaway, give your senses a break from the ordinary by following these simple suggestions:
* Sight: Simply changing what you look at can be the change of pace you need. Surround yourself with images of faraway places that you’d like to travel to and a “getaway” will always be at your fingertips. Calendars featuring beautiful locales are one great way to keep your favorite destinations in mind, but you can also search for images on photo sharing websites like Flickr.com, or subscribe to a blog or e-newsletter that will send you daily inspiration about places and cultures you’d like to explore.
* Sound: Stock your mp3 player with music from around the country that inspires you. Enjoy the bubbly, vibrant spirit of New Orleans as you listen to the jazz that made the city a musical mecca, or revel in the feeling of down-home Americana that comes with the high-energy sounds of Kentucky bluegrass. Simply download the music of whichever destination you’re dreaming of for a quick getaway when you need it.
* Taste: The flavors of food can transport you to any locale, reminding you of places you’ve been and places you aspire to visit. Take a sweet excursion to some of the country’s best-loved destinations by indulging in Pepperidge Farm American Collection Cookies. Whether dreaming of Montauk, Sausalito, Captiva or Nantucket, the Collection’s classic cookie flavors will carry you to the taste destination of your choice.
* Smell: Scent is closely tied to memory, so light a scented candle of your choice and be whisked away to vacation destinations you’ve come to love. A whiff of jasmine or frangipani might remind you of the rich floral scents of Hawaii, while cedar and pine scents can take you away to a mountain hike in the Rockies, or the smell of pumpkin spice and sun-baked fallen leaves could inspire memories of a fall foliage trip along the East Coast.
* Touch: Bring elements of your favorite destinations into your home or office to remind you of vacations gone by. Fill a decorative bowl with seashells you once gathered on a beach walk, or plan to collect vials of sand from every shore you visit. Even a cozy blanket acquired in chilly New England can take you back to nights spent snuggling in a ski lodge or B&B.
When long workdays and busy weekends leave you feeling overwhelmed and in need of an escape, a simple midday getaway might be all you need for a quick vacation fix. Start this daily ritual with a visit to www.pepperidgefarm.com to learn more about the taste destinations awaiting you.
