5 ways you can take a vacation from getting “vacation-ready”

What have you done to get ready for your summer plans?

Getting excited for my recent vacation to Lake Tahoe, I was using all of my spare time on Pinterest — of course. As usual, my “quick browsing” evolved into an hourlong surf session of anything having to do with summer.

What started as innocent excitement turned into a panic that I was about to have a terrible vacation (unless, of course, I had done a specific tanning regimen exactly 12 days in advance). My homepage was bombarded with titles that sent the message that I couldn’t enjoy myself on vacation unless I looked a certain way. I was already starting to feel unprepared for my trip, but now I just felt bad about myself.

Then, I decided I’d had enough. To enjoy my summer, I was going to take a vacation from getting vacation-ready, and this is what it involved:

Touted trend: Summer Diets

Some headlines you might see: “50 Skinny Summer Smoothies”, “Fat Burning Meal Plan to Get in Shape for Summer”, and “Summer Food Swaps to Save Calories”.

Take a vacation from… any form of diet mentality at all. Forget what the media says is “good” versus “bad” food. Just eat what your body tells you it wants! Order the bulky cheeseburger on a white bun…with fries.

Touted trend: Summer Beauty

Some headlines you might see: “The Best Summer Lip Color, According to Kendall Jenner”, “Hot Weather Makeup Hacks Every Girl Has to Know”, and “30 Summer Hollywood Hairstyles You Need to Try”.

Take a vacation from… makeup! Do you think that your memory of the Eiffel Tower will be affected, even slightly, by whether or not you wear the lipstick of the moment? My guess is no. And think about how much suitcase space you’ll spare by not packing those tubes of lip gloss and mascara.

Touted trend: Tanning

Some headlines you might see: “The Ten Commandments for Getting — and Keeping — the Perfect Tan” or “How To Apply Self-Tanner Like a Pro”.

Take a vacation from… being tan. Slather on the SPF 80. Yes, a golden glow trends every summer, but it’s no secret that protecting your skin from the sun is one of the easiest ways to prevent skin cancer. Preserve your health, or keep up with the skin style of the season? You choose.

Touted trend: Getting a “Bikini Body”

Some headlines you might see: “Bikini Body Workout: 4 Weeks to Your Best Body”, “21-Day Bathing Suit Butt Workout Challenge”, or “Beach-Ready Tummy Toners”.

Take a vacation from… body shaming yourself. Realize that you’re ready for a swimsuit as you are now — just put it on, grab a towel, and hit the beach! See About-Face’s campaign to give everyone a bikini body this summer for more information on how to help other girls accept and respect their bodies.

Touted trend: “Summer Essential _______” Lists

Some headlines you might see: “23 Fruity Drinks You Need to Make for Your Summer to be Complete”, “6 Types of Summer Sandals You Should Have in Your Closet”, and “10 Festivals You Can’t Miss Out on This Summer”.

Take a vacation from… lists! Anything with “should”, “need”, or “must” in the title is likely to make you worry that you aren’t going to accomplish whatever it’s recommending is “essential”. Plus, isn’t vacation supposed to be a break from all your to-do lists?

All in all, the best way to get ready for your vacation is to steer clear of all those summer prep lists — except for this one, of course!

Carina Chiodo is taking full advantage of her summer before beginning her Master’s degree in Nutrition this Fall. A weeklong vacation to Lake Tahoe, watching Netflix documentaries, and nannying an energetic three children are all keeping her busy this sunny season. She considers one of her top accomplishments to be her title as an About-Face blogger, due to her loves of writing and having a positive impact on young women.