Eight Tips for Taking a Self-Care Staycation

I don’t know about you, but the idea of traveling right now has me feeling nauseated. It seems that every time I turn around, I’m hearing about travel disasters from friends and colleagues, who have had flights canceled or severely delayed during the last few months. Apparently the supply of flight attendants, pilots, and other travel service personnel has yet to catch up to the demands of travellers who are ramping up plans in the face of diminishing pandemic-related restrictions. 

If you’re anything like me, and the thought of traveling under such conditions does not appeal to you, then it makes sense to schedule a staycation instead. I plan on doing just that this summer and am even going to take it one step further. I plan on having a self-care staycation when I can really focus on myself and keeping my mental health and wellbeing on track. 

To be clear, I’m not just talking about taking a week off from work and puttering around the house. I’m going to be intentional about planning self-care activities that are aligned with each of the eight dimensions of wellness, so that I can continue to support my mental and physical wellbeing. 

Here are eight tips that I will be adhering to and that I urge you to consider if you also plan on taking a self-care staycation this summer:

1. Get Out in Nature: Research clearly supports the benefits of spending time in nature in terms of reducing cortisol concentrations, as well as calming the sympathetic nervous system. Surprisingly, studies suggest that even if you live in a city like I do, just getting to a green space with grass and trees is enough to have benefits for your wellbeing. I plan to get to the mountains for a hike in order to immerse myself in the awe and wonder of nature, which will support my spiritual wellbeing. 
2. Book Your Health Appointments: While most people put off seeing their doctor or dentist, these are important health promoting appointments that function as self-care. It is often easier to catch up on these appointments when the kids are out of school or you have time off work, so use time during your staycation to attend or at least schedule these. I plan on scheduling a massage appointment, which will support my physical wellbeing.  
3. Nurture Social Connections: Spending a week off work at home is a great time to catch up with friends and family, especially those whom you are usually too busy to see. Whether it is coffee on a patio, tea on your porch, or a meal out, try to plan at least one or two catch-up sessions. I plan on scheduling a walk and brunch with a good friend, which will support my social wellbeing. 
4. Clear Your Clutter: Several studies support the notion that keeping things clean and orderly fosters physical and mental health. In fact, people with clean houses are healthier and more active than people with messy houses. Furthermore, women who describe their home as “cluttered” or full of “unfinished projects” have higher levels of cortisol and are more likely to be depressed compared to women who refer to their homes as “restful” and “restorative”. I plan to spend part of my staycation purging items and clothing I no longer use, which will support my environmental wellbeing. 
5. Assess Your Finances: We often forget (or avoid) the fact that our finances have a large impact on our wellbeing. Hiring a financial planner or setting up automatic bill pay are often not thought of as self-care activities, yet these are important things that we can do to foster our financial wellness. I plan on spending some time assessing my income and expenses for the rest of the year and connecting with my accountant, which will support my financial wellbeing. 
6. Take a Digital Detox: Taking a break from technology is more important now than ever before. We spend so much time on screens at work and again at home that our brains and eyes rarely get a reprieve from the constant notifications and information coming our way. Research suggests that passive use of social media in the form of scrolling feeds can lead to anxiety and depression. Quite frankly, I don’t know anyone who has taken a break from their phones and not felt better afterwards. I plan to stay off social media for the duration of my staycation (no matter how tempting it may be to post something!), which will support my emotional wellbeing. 
7. Download a New Podcast: I am an avid podcast listener and do so during walks or long commutes. Topics related to mental health, human nature, and entrepreneurship interest me the most, and favourites of mine include Hidden Brain, Happier, Unlocking Us, and The Happiness Lab. The thing I love most about podcasts is that you can learn on the go, whereas with reading you need to sit and devote your attention to the book. I plan on downloading some episodes from the parenting podcast Unruffled, which will support my intellectual wellbeing.
8. Set a Work Boundary: Healthy boundaries are something that most of us struggle with given our people-pleasing and caregiving nature. But always deferring to others’ needs and ignoring our own sets us up for resentment, frustration, exhaustion, and burnout. When taking time off from work, it is important to establish ahead of time what the expectations are regarding cases and contact. Consider handing over your follow-ups to a colleague and communicating to your team that you will not be available while you are off. I plan to set up an auto-reply on my email notifying others that I will not be checking messages and to expect a delayed reply upon my return. This is a healthy boundary to support my occupational wellbeing.  

I am curious to know whether you will plan a self-care staycation and what activities you will incorporate. Regardless of what you do, I am just glad that you will be doing something for yourself. After all, if you don’t prioritize yourself, nobody else will!