Take a Secret 2-Minute Mental Vacation from Stress
Are you running on empty? Why not secretly escape stress in only two minutes?
Posted April 1, 2026 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma
The stress of the holidays is past. And just when you thought you could breathe a sigh of relief, along came the start of tax and audit season. Let’s not forget the uncertainty around inflation and a myriad of worldly worries.
If you’re feeling like you don’t have enough energy reserves, that you are on edge, upset, anxious, angry, sad, depressed , or feeling disengaged from work and others, you are not alone.
These are normal reactions to feelings of overwork and uncertainty.
Is there anything you can do to reverse this harmful trend, both personally and in your workplace? Fortunately, there is a proven way to help you recover and recharge from stress. Best of all, you can do this secretly–at work or home. Best of all, it only takes a couple of minutes!
But first, you need to know the dirty truth that no one told you: Change and transition drive anxiety , stress, and burnout . Plus, you’re probably coping with more rapid change and stress than ever before. Research shows that you don't need to get stuck in stress mode. You can actually change the effects of anxiety and worry in your brain very quickly by using mental visualization ,
Yes, by changing what you're focusing on, you can actually elicit calming alpha brain waves and reduce stress! Meditators know how focusing on the breath helps to calm the mind. But taking a mental vacation is probably a faster and more targeted way of attaining that relaxing brain state.
Two-Minute Mental Vacation Practice for Recharging from Stress
As many stress researchers have learned , it’s not stress that kills you, but your perception of stress . It’s how you think about stress that makes all the difference. To prepare for your mental vacation, first ask these questions so you can start thinking differently about your stress.
Good job. Now you're ready for your two-minute vacation!
Visualization is routinely used to help athletes perform at their best. It works because your brain reacts to what you’re imagining as if it is actually happening .
I have used this mental vacation practice in workshop settings and found that it energized and recharged participants–even after lunch when we were feeling low energy. My book Simply Mindful Resilience contains many guided visualizations and daily practices like this one for reducing stress and recharging all aspects of your life.
Remember that this is a practice. Don't try use it just once. It is recommended that you keep experimenting with this method of rewiring your stress. You might want to try different mental vacations to see what works best for you. I think you'll be surprised at how effective mental imagery can be! Happy vacationing!
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Donald Altman , a psychotherapist and former monk featured in The Mindfulness Movie and Living Spiritual Teachers Project , is the author of the new book, Travelers.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.