A wise woman in a pair of ruby-red pumps once said: ‘there’s no place like home’. To this day, we feel that.

There is a growing pressure to join the crowd of digital nomads; exploring the world, posing with a pina colada and sharing it on your Instagram feed, of course! And whilst travel is wonderful, providing an opportunity to experience new places and cultures, there is a less-glamorous side that doesn’t quite make the social media feed.

Running late for a flight, airport delays, trying to keep the kids occupied throughout long journeys, managing transfers, organising day trips, the list goes on.

Yes, holidays are sought-after, and longed-for in our busy worlds and (often!) grey British weather., But when all is said and done, there really is no place like home. What if we could replicate that same feeling, more often, from the comfort of home?

May we present to you: The Staycation.

A vacation in your own home – yes, it’s a thing.

‘Staycations’ often present themselves as a welcome retreat. Catch up on sleep in your own bed, enjoy leisurely time with the people you love, try something new or spend time on a favourite past time. 

We rarely relish in the chance to reacquaint and reconnect ourselves with our homes. In doing so, you can practise gratitude, reminding yourself of all of the memories it holds and the parts of it you truly love.

If you are looking to rein in your wanderlust, here are some tips to turn a weekend into the ultimate staycation.

Save the date

In the same way that you would mark the dates for a vacation, set aside time for your staycation.

Treat the time in the same way you would have done if you booked travel and accommodation. This time will be sacred and become a weekend that you look forward to, cherish, and want to experience again!

Set a goal

What do you want to achieve during this time? Your goal will set the tone for the weekend.

Do you want to rest, relax and rejuvenate? Reconnect with your family? Alternatively, you may want to spend the weekend alone, embracing your creativity and trying your hand at a new hobby? By having a pre-determined goal, it becomes easier to politely decline other invitations from friends and family that may prove a distraction.

Make an itinerary…. or don’t

Plan your staycation in the same way that you would make plans for your time away.  away. Include things you want to do, see or explore, the food you would like to eat (Psst – we’ve got some great breakfast ideas!), or even a rough idea of the time you would like to attribute to an activity. This plan will keep you focused on achieving your overall goal for the weekend.

We advise that you also leave some time to be spontaneous, you might be offered an opportunity that is aligned with your goal for the staycation, or decide you enjoy one activity so much, you want to allow more time for it!

Here is an example itinerary that we used recently – hopefully it gives you some inspiration for your staycation!

Friday eve

• Quiet dinner at home with friends, a games night and a glass of wine

Saturday

• Wake up naturally
• Take an exercise class, preferably outside!
• Breakfast with friends
• Visit a local attraction you haven’t seen before (cathedral, museum, National Trust, parks, castles are all great ideas)
• A coffee-house coffee and the first few chapters of a new book
• Indulgent bath – candles, bubble bath and a favourite Spotify playlist
• Dinner plans

Sunday

• Wake up with an alarm (at a reasonable time, of course!)
• Favourite breakfast at home
• Sunday walk in some greenery – borrow a friend’s doggy if you want some canine time!
• Afternoon at a spa – why not treat yourself to a treatment?
• Film night at home – ready to head to the office relaxed and refreshed on Monday morning

If you don’t want to partake in any such activities, make a point of making no plans. Whatever you choose, do it consciously, and be present in each moment.

Spend your time doing the things you love

As you can see from the above example, this time is to be spent doing the things that to quote Mary Kondo – ‘spark joy’. This ‘holiday’ is yours to enjoy.

Leave the chores and the ‘to-dos’, this isn’t a time for practicality.

If one of your goals was to spend more time with your family, you could arrange a dinner, lunch, family games evening or sports day (weather dependent!). The activities enjoyed by families are personal, so choose something that will evoke memories to get you laughing and reconnecting.

If your happy place is your bed, and you want to spend all weekend in bed, reading or catching up on the latest Netflix releases with free flowing cups of tea, then grab that options with both hands. Your staycation if yours to own, and there is no judgement or ‘right answer’ to getting them right.

The possibilities are endless.

Try something new

Perhaps you want to use this weekend as a steppingstone, putting some spring back in your step. You could use your staycation to do something that you wouldn’t typically do.

Explore a new city or learn something new by cooking a cookery or dance class. There are plenty of activities in which to immerse yourself – a yoga workshop, pottery or floristry class, paddle-boarding, horse riding, joining a book club, starting a blog.

It could even be trying a new restaurant that you have been thinking about for a while, or throwing caution to the wind and being really spontaneous in a way that you wouldn’t normally. Rock climbing, anyone? 

Forcing yourself out of your comfort zone often brings untold benefits. We fully endorse you trying something new, and want to join you on your wellbeing journey!

We hope this article provides you with the inspiration to plan your next staycation. Don’t forget to share pictures and tag us in your weekend activities on our social channels.