a cup of espresso being poured over vanilla ice cream that’s in a clear glass
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4 Things to Eat & Drink to Feel Like You’re on Vacation

When “out of office” isn’t an option, get a taste of relaxation with these easy-to-implement tips

Kasey Yanna
4 min readFeb 21, 2022

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I’m sitting at a booth in my coworking space, typing away on my laptop. To the right of my laptop is a cup of cold brew with a spoon sitting inside. It was used to add two scoops of vanilla ice cream to my afternoon pick-me-up beverage. Why?

Because a cold brew version of an affogato — a scoop of ice cream drowned in a shot of espresso — shouldn’t be enjoyed only when traveling abroad or visiting a coffee shop with friends. I make many of my decisions based on this belief: leisure and relaxation shouldn’t be reserved for weekends and vacations.

Research shows that people who feel time-stressed, like they don’t have enough discretionary time, report feeling less happy, more depressed, and more emotionally drained. As a champion of leisure and relaxation, I can attest that it only takes a little bit of effort to sprinkle some leisurely activities into your week. And doing so can help channel vacation vibes, where you feel more relaxed and less time-stressed.

Here are four easy and tasty ways to feel less time-stressed and add pockets of relaxation to your week.

Add ice cream to your coffee

Affogato al caffè is an Italian term that means “drowned in coffee.” It’s typically categorized as a dessert but anything with coffee in it counts as a breakfast item in my book. The recipe is simple and combines two pleasures: espresso or coffee and ice cream.

I was working the other day and had the idea for an affogato so I grabbed a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream at the grocery store that night and took it to my coworking space the next day. I’ve now drowned a scoop of ice cream in hot coffee, cold brew and flavored kombucha. When my coworkers see me pull out ice cream from the kitchen freezer, their faces light up. Because treats like ice cream are accompanied by happy, celebratory vibes. And that’s exactly the point.

Depending on whether or not you share your ice cream, spending around $5 on a half-gallon can buy you multiple weeks of “out of office” moments during your workday. A…

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Kasey Yanna
Kasey Yanna

Written by Kasey Yanna

Eating + drinking my way to happiness. But in a healthy-ish way. You know, with well-being & productivity in mind. To collaborate, email karuedas@gmail.com.

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