EP 136: Should You Take a Staycation?

Hey Friends, We are continuing with our series on Clutter & Mindset, and today we are talking about the benefits of a Staycation. With summer here, many of you are planning vacations (or maybe even on one right now!), yet studies show that there are both financial and emotional benefits to taking a staycation. What is a Staycation: A staycation, is a period in which an individual or family stays home and participates in leisure activities within driving distance of their home and does not require overnight accommodations.  Don’t get me wrong, vacations are great, there is something to be said about getting out of dodge, changing your scenery and completely unplugging, but if you have things around the house that are stressing you out, leaving isn’t going to solve them, in fact, coming home to disarray can often add to your stress levels.  Sometimes the best thing you can do is just carve out some dedicated time to get it done. IS A STAYCATION FOR ME? You have an area of your home that has been neglected and it is weighing on you. You want to focus on completing a new project that you’ve wanted to do, but haven’t had the time. You need time to recharge (sleep in, relax, read a book, binge watch Netflix), connect with family. If you answered YES to any of the above, a staycation may be just what the doctor ordered!  HERE ARE 3 TIPS TO GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR STAYCATION: 1. Plan your itinerary, just like you would for a traditional vacation. It doesn’t have to be super detailed, but I do recommend carving the day into blocks so you give yourself time for both R & R and tackling those nagging projects.  By the end of the week, you'll not only feel rested, but accomplished. 2. Differentiate from your daily routine. It could be as simple as sleeping in, letting your kids stay up for an extra hour, or ordering out instead of cooking-but mix it up so it's not the "same-old-same-old." 3. Set an out of office email. Just because you are choosing to stay home, doesn’t mean that your time away is any less valuable than if you were laying on a beach. Set boundaries with your boss, co-workers or clients.  If you want to check in once or twice a day, that’s totally fine, but I encourage you to be mindful of falling into work from home traps.  ***If you are a stay-at-home parent, take a break from your daily household activities (see #2). SAMPLE STAYCATION: Sleep in till 7 or 8, then relax and have coffee, read, maybe catch up with your spouse or partner before the kids wake up (or if you have little kids, allow them to play or watch TV so you can feel as though you’re not on duty!) Have a leisurely breakfast, maybe workout (walk, run, yoga, spin or whatever it is that you enjoy) By late morning you are ready to tackle your project. Give yourself a significant block of time to work on it (your time will vary depending on the project, but somewhere between 2-4 hours-although some people prefer to play through until the project is done) Take a break, have lunch, sit outside, etc. If it’s a smaller project, you may be done; if it’s a larger project, you may want to get back to it, or maybe you want to call it a day and then resume again tomorrow. It’s ok to dedicate the afternoon to FUN! The goal of your staycation is to mix relaxation, recharging and productivity to reduce your stress level AFTER the staycation is over. If you know someone who would enjoy this episode, will you please share it with a friend?! Let’s Connect!  We love hearing from you! Head on over to facebook and join our group, This ORGANIZED Life where you can post topic ideas, guest suggestions, questions, comments and photos. Of course you also connect with us on the IG or follow us on PINTEREST for some added inspiration. One more thing....before you go, click HERE to take our free clutter quiz!    Stop feeling like a Hot Mess!  HOT MESS: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized is my witty little survival guide that helps you get to the root of...