This year looks like it will be the year of the staycation, which means taking a holiday at home. Or close to home, if travel allows. I think there are plenty of fun ways to make the most of a staycation, so thought I would share a few here.
Planning your staycation
Part of the fun of a staycation is in the planning. Choosing the time and date for taking time off, or planning a weekend where you will make the most of your mini home holiday. But there might be some other things you need to factor in. Getting shopping, whether the world and his dog will be ‘holidaying’ too (like at bank holidays) and whether you plan to go out during your time off.
If you have a partner that you would like to staycation with, then you will need to coordinate the time off together. Making sure you choose a time when you can both really take a break from work (no ‘nipping onto Slack’ kind of things)
Thinking of a theme
A theme is totally optional for a staycation, but it can help you to come up with ideas for the food you will have. I like to choose somewhere in the world that I would like to try the cuisine of. That way, I can meal plan for the staycation, do the shopping and then enjoy the process of making new meals. It also gives you something to aim for when planning your entertainment too. You might fancy giving a homemade limbo a try, or learning to salsa dance as part of the activities for your time off.
Remember, that it is your staycation, so you can do what you want. But having some activities to help pass the time and some new experiences to get stuck into will make the time feel like it is slowing down a bit, to a more relaxed pace – something I am sure we could all use at the moment.
Sleeping somewhere different
Part of the enjoyment of going away is sleeping somewhere different. While you will be more than likely still at home for your staycation this year, you can change things up by sleeping somewhere different. Whether you move into your spare room for the night, pitch your tent in the garden, or make a den in the lounge, it will be fun to spend the night (or nights) somewhere new. It will feel like a holiday as it won’t be your usual bed and the same four walls to wake up to.
To make it even more unusual, treat yourself to some scented candles or room spray in a scent you wouldn’t normally by and use it to create a new feel to your usual room (this would work if you really have to stay in your own bed too)
Getting out and about
If you are anything like me, then your staycation will need to have some time when you get out and about. Whether it is for sitting in the garden or local park or taking a walk further afield, you’ll want to have something on the menu.
I have been enjoying writing down places I would like to explore and tucking them safely into my staycation list. We will be moving house at some point soon, so I have been looking for new places to visit there too. Sometimes it is as simple as taking a flask of tea out bright and early to see the sun rise over the canal. Others, it’s popping on my hiking boots and heading for a new to me hill to climb. Whatever you enjoy doing in the outdoors, plan some in. And preferably somewhere new to you. (Google maps is a great help for this kind of planning)
Disconnecting
Disconnecting, for me, is one of the most vital parts of a staycation. It is so easy to get drawn into the everyday stuff if you’re checking your phone or listening to the radio. I make a determined choice to not check social media or turn on any TV or radio for the duration of my staycation. (seriously, if something important comes up, the news will get to me somehow).
By doing this, it is like going on a real break from your usual life. No downers from the news, no updates or chance for you to get sucked into a rabbit hole on social media and definitely no option for comparison. Which is a win by all accounts. You can catch up on it all when you emerge refreshed from your staycation.
Simply turn off all notifications on your apps, and if you think you might be tempted with them, you can delete them for the staycation to reinstall later.
Do stuff you enjoy doing!
Take the time away from the bustle to do things you really enjoy doing. Whether that is sleeping in, having a bath, walking around in your undies or something entirely different, do that! It is your staycation at the end of the day and I have simply offered some suggestions to help make it a little bit fun and different. You can fill in the gaps with what makes you feel refreshed, rejuvenated and happy.
Here are some more ideas of the things that I love to do on a staycation:
Read books or buy a new magazine to flick through over the staycation.
Sit in silence, just listening to whatever is going on around me.
Play with my cats and brush their fur.
Sit in the garden, with a picnic.
Walk around my local area at dusk and dawn when things quieten down and there is a lovely light.
Go out with one of my big cameras to collect some photos on a theme I have created for myself – this is a fun way of looking at your local area in a new light too.
Write and send postcards to friends for a little catch up.
Do a Treasure Trail (if travel permits and there is one for my area)
Buy myself some scented flowers to brighten my home.
Walk somewhere new to me. It could be a different street in my neighbourhood or a park nearby.