How to have the perfect staycation

Skip the expensive resort fees and the hassle of long-distance travel. Why not have a staycation instead? Staycation is not just a nice way of saying ‘I’m just going to hang out at home.’ It’s one of the best ways to relax and veg out, rebooting your body and mind, with no danger of lost luggage or post-travel exhaustion.

But staying at home is one thing; conditioning yourself to actually relax and not spend the weekend cleaning out your closet is another. Here are tips on having a real staycation.

Sleep in

Just turn off your alarm and sleep as long as you want. In fact, even when you wake up, you can choose to lie in bed as long as you want. No itinerary to follow. No tour group to catch up with. No jetlag to screw up your cycle, forcing you to control your sleeping hours so you can somehow get your body back in synch. You can do whatever you want!

See your city with new eyes

If you’re itching to get out of the house, then go ahead—take the tour. Even if you’ve lived in a city for many years, chances are you haven’t checked out everything. Go to the local gallery to see the work of a new artist. Visit local historical sites. Watch a matinee or a concert. Try out the new restaurant.

Turn off your phone

Co-workers may be tempted to call you just because you’re still around. Don’t take any calls. Set up a voicemail that says you’re on vacation and will be unable to retrieve messages regularly. Create an automatic email message that notifies clients or anyone who tries to write you that you will only be back at a certain date. And don’t check your phone impulsively—pretend you’re in an island, with spotty signal.

Don’t do anything on your to do list

You may feel the urge to do something productive at home—reorganize your spice rack, clean out your closet, tackle a few home repairs. Don’t. If you had actually flown out for a vacation would you have felt even a tinge of regret that you weren’t scrubbing your floors? No. So why would you cave in to the guilt today? Your job, right now, is to rest. The floors, like everything else on your to do list, can wait.

Order ‘room service’

Don’t cook. Order it, or drive by your favorite take out place. It saves you the trouble of washing dishes, too.

Take a DVD trip

Now is the best time to go on a DVD marathon, catching up on your favorite TV show, or the movies you missed. You may even want to do a ‘theme’ like Audrey Hepburn films or campiest horror movies.

Treat yourself to an expensive dinner

Go ahead, you’ve saved a lot of money from airfare and hotels. So go to a good restaurant and try the most expensive item on the menu, or ask for the finest wine in the house.

Photo from completeonlinehealth.com