If you can't get away, try a 'vacation moment' at work

August is here. Football players are practicing. School is about to begin.

And all I can think is, "I need a vacation."

Well, maybe "need" is a bit too strong. Truthfully, following a winter and spring of taking almost no time off work so I could store up a few vacation days, I've had a summer full of travel.

Now I'm looking forward to using up almost the last of those days for one final fling — a trip to California and Disneyland — before school starts.

Once I return from the "Happiest Place on Earth," I will hunker down for another fall and winter of almost no time off.

I'm not whining about that. I'm fortunate to work at a job that offers paid vacation. But contemplating the end of summer — and the end of my traveling — reminded me how important it is to recharge my batteries even when I'm chained to my desk.

Is that really possible, you ask? I think it is.

In response to an earlier column on a similar topic, a reader named Valerie wrote in an email that her mother used to say, "A change is as good as a vacation."

"Just doing something out of the norm really does recharge your batteries," Valerie wrote.

With that in mind — and just in case the Magic Kingdom or tropical beaches are not on your itinerary in the near future — here are some tips from CareerCast.com to help you create "vacation moments" at work.

"Set the timer." CareerCast.com recommends that you check email and respond only at certain times. I don't think I could get away with this in the news business, but if you can, go for it.

"Hop on the musical time machine." If it's acceptable in your workplace, slip on the headphones and listen to music from a favorite vacation spot or memory. I would choose music that reminds me of a trip to Hawaii with my wife last year.

"Take a walk. Grab a co-worker, go walking and talk about your work projects (or not)." I've been known to wander on an occasional afternoon "walkabout" to visit friends at work, and it definitely helps me push through to quitting time.

"Say goodbye to clutter." CareerCast.com recommends taking time to clean off your desk and get organized. I can't work on a messy desk, so I wholeheartedly agree with this.

"Unplug yourself. Leave technology at the office during your breaks." If you leave your smartphone in your office, you won't be tempted to look at it during lunch — but you might suffer iPhone withdrawal.