13 Staycation Ideas to Recreate Vacation at Home
13 staycation ideas that recreate vacation at home
My family and I recently returned from a glorious, carefree staycation. We picked blueberries + devoured them by fistfuls until they stained our palms blue. We jumped waves beneath a radiant summer sun, then we boogie boarded our hearts out and searched for shells along the shore. Time slowed, then stopped. Thanks to some epic staycation ideas, we were too busy enjoying every moment – too busy creating memories, too consumed by the act of truly living – to feel anything other than relaxation.
While rarely experienced in everyday life, the Vacation Sensation surfaces only when physically + mentally distanced from the daily grind.
Minimalist parents know the inherent value in spending money on experiences instead of stuff. But my family’s vacation is over and tomorrow – Monday morning – marks the start of a new week. Indeed, the stresses of everyday life are already finding the cracks in our harmony.
They’re creeping, crawling back in.
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Can we keep vacation mode alive well after a staycation ends? If so, how?
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Here’s what research suggests.
13 Staycation Ideas for everyone:
#1. Be spontaneous.
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Life is nothing if not routine. Vacation’s best moments are the ones that offer opportunities to try new things.
A friend + fellow blogger suggests creating a Spontaneity Jar +reverting to its contents whenever one needs to escape the monotony.
I concur.
#2. Take better breaks.
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Don’t just take breaks during the day; take better breaks.
Get up + walk around. Doodle. Laugh.
Good breaks rejuvenate the soul + alleviate boredom. Bad breaks compound fatigue.
#3. Don’t overbook.
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I’m terrified of being home with a bored preschooler; it’s easy to schedule my family silly.
But before I know it, I’m overbooked + overstressed.
I’m working on leaving room in my daily schedule for downtime. People much smarter than me suggest you should, too.
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#4. Unplug.
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The greatest thing about vacation is the fact that the phone + the tablet – the very devices that connect us to exterior stressors! – are turned off + put out of sight.
Best of all, it’s easy to recreate the feeling of being unplugged at home just by turning off the technology.
#5. Treat yourself.
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Have that ice cream or that glass of wine.
Use the crystal.
Life’s too short not to.
#6. Dine outdoors.
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What is it about eating outside that feels too good to be true? Indeed, there’s something utterly indulgent about dining amongst nature.
If the weather cooperates, why not?
#7. Spend time near water.
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An oversized body of water is an instant relaxant. Indeed, even the most mundane tasks feel enjoyable when around the ocean or a lake.
Crunching numbers for a fiscal year’s end? Stinks. Doing so while sitting on the dock? Guaranteed to be heavenly.
But if water isn’t nearby, then …
#8. Get outside.
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Let the whistling of wind through the trees guide your way, because a 30-minute hike is scientifically proven to alleviate stress + anxiety.
#9. Forget about bedtimes, at least once in awhile.
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I know, I know: Bedtimes are a parent’s best friend. But it’s freeing to dictate the schedule – instead of allowing the schedule to dictate you.
And anyway, who has a bedtime on vacation?
#10. Make time for breakfast.
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Women much wiser than me swear breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If so, scarfing down a half-eaten granola bar while speeding through town certainly isn’t setting anyone up for success.
So from now on I’m setting out the good place mats.
And instead of crumpling the napkins into little balls atop the plates? I’m folding them into perfect triangles.
I plan to dine, and I’ll do so even if I have to do a bit of preparation the night beforehand.
Lists of staycation ideas almost always mention going out for breakfast, and or good reason. When we make time for breakfast, we slow down the rest of the day, too.
#11. Pick up a book (and put down the tablet).
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Vacation isn’t about Netflix in a hotel bed, + it certainly isn’t about eye strain from the neon-white glare of a computer screen.
It’s about being taken away by a good story. It’s about allowing a good, old-fashioned book to catapult you into another world, for at least 300-or so pages.
#12. Turn off the news.
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There’s a distinct difference between being informed + over-informed.
With regard to current events, I’m finding my balance. I’m still deciding what amount of knowledge feels right versus what amount just stresses me out.
Find the amount that works for you, and stick to it by being bold enough to turn off even the juiciest news reports.
#13. Follow the five-year rule.
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There’s no magic recipe to vacation; still, stress somehow melts away. I’m betting it all has to do with vacation’s ability to offer space.
Perspective is a beautiful gift. If it won’t matter in five years, refuse to devote any mental energy now.
What are your best staycation ideas? Enlighten us in the comments!
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