MidlifeStylist

How to Make the Most of Your Staycation

How to Make the Most of Your Staycation

It’s not surprising that more people are choosing to stay home when they have a holiday. Termed a Staycation, it’s a nickname for just that – staying at home instead of traveling. The latest coronavirus outbreak in China has given everyone the spooks, but over the years there have been multiple reasons to stay at home rather than travel, such as terrorism, natural disasters, plane crashes, outbreaks of gastro on cruise ships to name but a few. Other reasons may be ill health, economic or commitments at home.

My husband and I try to make the most of our annual leave and travel either overseas or within Australia. Our time off is precious to us because we both work odd hours and can go days at a time where we barely see each other. He has to go away for work sometimes, and I do shift work.

I am currently on annual leave for 2 weeks, and my husband only has one of those weeks off so I find myself with some time to myself. So that I don’t waste this time, I’ve compiled a list of tasks to do. It’s a chance to do things uninterrupted. I thought I’d share some ideas that other people may find helpful, to make the most of their Staycation.

  • Get on top of chores e.g. spring cleaning, yard work, gardening
  • Make appointments to the Dentist, Optometrist, skin clinic, etc. for your six monthly or yearly checkups.
  • Have coffee or a meal with friends and family you haven’t seen for a while
  • Visit the local art gallery, museum or historical society
  • If your town/city is in a touristy area, be a tourist for a day and go to a theme park or local attraction
  • Invest some time in yourself. Have a day of pampering at a spa, do a course on mindfulness or meditation, get your hair restyled
  • Read a book, do some craft or another hobby that you usually don’t have time to do
  • Cook some meals in batches to freeze for when you’re back at work
  • Rent accommodation or go camping in a nearby area that you wouldn’t usually stay. I often have a weekend away in a unit or house I’ve rented through Airbnb, in a town or suburb within an hour or two of home. That way we can feel as if we’ve been on holiday without the outlay of transport costs. I’m constantly surprised at the difference it makes to have a weekend away without going too far from home – it’s enough to revitalise you.
  • Declutter and sell or give away all the excess “stuff” you have. Your holiday at home might end up making you some extra cash
  • Do a short course to learn a new skill
  • Do any repairs around your property or organise for tradesmen to do work while you’re at home. We’re getting our roof repaired and repainted while I’m on a staycation
  • Rearrange the furniture in one room, redecorate it, add indoor plants or change the soft furnishings. Just giving one room a new look will be uplifting.
  • Plant a herb garden or some vegetable seedlings. If you don’t have a garden, use pot plants. Adding fresh herbs and vegetables to your diet will improve your health and wellbeing
  • See a movie or concert with a friend
  • Take your children or grandchildren to the park or beach. Make the most of your local area and spend quality time with the younger generations
  • Make the most of not having to do anything to a schedule. Sleep in, stay up late, have a rest during the day or exercise every day. You’ll go back to work refreshed and feeling great

You certainly don’t have to go out of your way or clock up a huge credit card bill to enjoy a vacation. Globally, the increased fear of traveling due to disease, natural disasters, terrorism etc., will lead to more people staying home. That doesn’t mean you should feel deprived – make the most of it! I’m such a homebody that I never feel as if I’m missing out by having a staycation.

I’d love to hear about my readers’ ideas for a staycation. Do you usually go away, and if so, are you considering staying at home for your next vacation?

Make the most of your holiday at home
Advertisement

midlifestylist

, , , ,

31 responses to “How to Make the Most of Your Staycation”

  1. I love staycations! Especially because they are a huge money saver. Love reading all these tips on how to maximize them.

    Like

    Reply

  3. I like that you list of ideas include some “chores’ and need to do items but also include some fun things. I will usually get the work done, but don’t often think to head to a museum in my own town! I also like the idea of renting an Air b and B in a nearby town and exploring something not so far from home. It would like a little vacation.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Hi Natalie, thanks for your comment. Yes, I’m really enjoying my staycation. I’m even going to see a movie on my own – Emma, one of my favourite books. I’m not going to enjoy going back to work. Regards, Christina

      Like

      Reply

  5. I love staycations. When we lived in Sydney we used to have whole weeks in the school holidays where we’d go out each day – catch a train or a bus or a ferry and play tourist. Now that we’re on the sunny coast we like to explore somewhere a couple of hours from home – we did Bundaberg one year, the Scenic Rim another, Agnes Water last year and this anniversary we’ll head down to the Tweed Coast. It’s like a holiday without the jet lag. #MLSTL

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. I agree with your list of things to do Christina and think they are becoming much more common. With things happening in the world many are choosing to stay home and enjoy the break from work and everyday life. I have shared for #mlstl

    Like

    Reply

    • Hi Debbie, I’ve never let world events stop me from travelling. I’d never go anywhere if I worried about everything happening in the world. Luckily we had no travel plans because this coronavirus has caused a huge upheaval everywhere. It makes me appreciate our medical services even more. Thanks so much for your feedback, regards Christina

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  7. I feel like I’m on one long, lovely staycation since I stopped working last year. Every day is a holiday and I love being in my own space and doing my own thing. I can tick off quite a few of the things on your list, so I must be doing it right – I’m certainly enjoying every minute of it so far!
    Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Hi Leanne, you make retirement sound so inviting in your blog that I’m really looking forward to it! Reading other blogs by midlifers like me has made me feel really connected to other people like me. Thanks so much for reading my blog and giving me feedback. Regards Christina

      Like

      Reply

  9. What a great list and I totally agree a Staycation can be enjoyable and productive. We live on the Gold Coast so really I feel like I’m on holidays every time I walk out on to the balcony. I suppose many of us feel that our holidays need to be a complete get away and I know we have travelled overseas for the last 20 years. When you work full time, an overseas or interstate holiday whilst enjoyable can also be tiring and you don’t get a complete break. You feel you need to be on the go and make the most of your short time visiting the country rather than including relaxation time. A staycation is a great way to do this and also rediscover where you live from a tourist’s eyes. Thanks for sharing at #MLSTL and have a great week! xx

    Like

    Reply

    • Hi Sue, I live on the Gold Coast too! Yes I agree, when you’re traveling you fill the days with lots of activities and come back pretty tired. This is a beautiful part of the world and we’re really lucky to have so much at our fingertips. Thanks so much for your feedback, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Regards, Christina

      Like

      Reply

  12. This is a great list of ideas! I agree that sometimes it’s just better to stay at home, recharge and catch up on things or do absolutely nothing. Nothing can replace the benefits of an actual downtime, and we all need it sometimes.

    Like

    Reply

  13. That’s a super list of suggestions and chimes in well with Australia’s great, new campaign to “Holiday here this year!”. I especially love that you combined doing useful chores with having a real break visiting galleries or trying out a new course or spending just a couple of days somewhere new but not so far away. We could all do with more of that. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks so much for your feedback, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I do want to support our country as it recovers from drought, fire and now flood, so we’ll be spending our next few holidays in Australia. Regards Christina

      Like

      Reply

  14. Our retirement lifestyle IS a staycation I guess. We cannot afford to travel but we are content at home and having some small outings (before covid) to a cafe for morning tea. I sure do wonder when Australia will be opened up again for all Australians.

    Like

    Reply

    • Hi Denyse, I’ve had one long staycation this year! It’s ok at the beginning but the novelty has worn off now. It would be good to get back to normal but I don’t think it will happen for some time unfortunately. Regards, Christina

      Like

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: