5 Ways To Make Your Staycation Your Best Vacation Ever

Wouldn’t it be blissful to just shut down our laptops, breathe in the sea air and feel the waves wash over our tingling toes, as we embrace a staycation closer to home, closing our eyes in ecstasy. We would sip mojitos, the refreshing taste of mint on the tip of our tongues and feast on vegan burgers, breathless at the incredible view that lies before our eyes. It’s hard to believe that this exists so close to home, but a staycation never lies, a holiday where you don’t need to catch a plane to go on vacation, a staycation where all your wildest dreams can come true. A staycation can boost your productivity, improve your mental health and simply just be a lot of fun, a world away from your own. But how do you make your staycation your best vacation like me?After all if you are anything like me you are constantly stressed about money, want money to travel but have very little saved and can be disorganized when it comes to organizing financial budgets because you aren’t always realistic. But have no fear, staycations don’t have to be stressful, and these five tips will ensure that you will have your best vacation yet. From learning how to switch off and take a social media break to avoid burn out, to funding your travels, here are five ways that you can make your staycation give you the holiday that you so desperately need.

Decide If You Want To Be A Hometown Tourist

Part of the beauty of going on staycation is that you don’t have the added pressures of flying abroad, can choose to spend all of your holiday in your apartment/hotel/ Air BNB if you want to and don’t need to tick off the obligatory ‘tourist trail activities’ if that isn’t really your thing. Which is where the concept of being a Home Town Tourist comes into play; I remember when I stayed at Blacksquare Apartments in Fitzrovia which was absolutely glorious and was the welcome break that me and my friend needed to have a wonderful staycation. They provided us with essentials like milk and butter, and some snacks like crisps as well as a welcome box of crisps and snacks which I thought was a rather pleasing sight and was so kind of them. The beauty of this staycation is that we decided that we wouldn’t be a hometown tourist as we had already been regulars in the area and would instead take the evening as it came, watching Love Island, eating snacks and pizza and sipping on wine, while we relaxed and did nothing. And it was perfect, we loved the freedom of being able to choose what to do, how there was no pressure on us to do anything touristy if we didn’t feel like it and above all gave us that peace and tranquility that we truly needed. And it can be the same for you, while it is common to have a more ‘action packed holiday’, when it comes to a staycation, the last thing you will want to be doing is running around stressed because you have created an itinerary that is a mile long.

That being said, depending on what mood I am in, sometimes I love being a hometown tourist, exploring London in my own time with or without a staycation break. After all there is so much to see and do here, from bustling restaurants like Dishoom to getting your fright on at the London Dungeons right through to wandering through Hyde Park and treating yourself to a picnic, sometimes it can be a lot of fun to spend your staycation having the best vacation ever by being a hometown tourist. At the end of the day, the choice is entirely down to you.

2. Delete Your Work Email Account From Your Phone

As someone who is often riddled with anxiety, the constant buzz of emails, notifications and a to do list that seems to be never ending is the last thing I want to be thinking about when I am on holiday. After all whether it is a staycation or a holiday abroad, I definitely do not want to be working, unless it is work trip which of course is different. As someone who works remotely and is self-employed it should come as no surprise that I am always working long hours, and have been known to be doing work at 3/4 am in the morning, when I should be getting my beauty sleep. With this incessant need to be close to technology, even when we are on holiday we can’t seem to switch off, which can mean that our best vacation yet can be ruined by spending our time working, when we should be relaxing. It’s time to switch off, recharge and feel the sun on our skin. Oh what bliss it would be. As much as I like to play, I am a workaholic, and a perfectionist at that, a combination which means I can spend hours on one thing because I go above and beyond to deliver a product, giving more than what is expected of me. Making the decision to delete my work email account from my phone is something I have done countless times on vacations and boy has it done the world of good. Even if you only go on staycation for one night, use that time to tap out of work and tap into much needed me time instead.

I also find that if you decide to go on holiday or a staycation, setting your emails to bounce back with an ‘out of office notice’ explaining that you are away until a certain date can mean that you are not bombarded as much with work duties and enjoy your best vacation to date in peace.

 

 

3. Document Your Stay Through Photos and Videos

While it is good to switch off, even if you decide to not be active on social media or push back your work, it is still nice to document your stay through photos and videos just for your own personal enjoyment. They don’t have to be professional, unless you want it to be but we spend so much time capturing our memories abroad that we often forget to do the same when we go on staycation which can be just as fun. Whether you go on staycation near a beach, lake, city or anywhere else, capture the special moments on your trip to make memories that you will never forget. Of course if you want to do photoshoots, a staycation would also be ideal for this because it can show your followers and readers the beauty of what your city/country/ town/village has to offer, and how a staycation can become your best vacation because there is less to organize, more spontaneity and a chance to unwind and be less stressed and anxious.  If you choose to have your staycation in a ‘beach setting’ the majority of your photos and videos will be of the beach, drinks and food and the villa/resort/accommodation that you are staying in, whereas a staycation in a city-depending on whether you want to be a hometown tourist- can be shots of the city landscape, nearby attractions and the apartment you are staying in. When I stayed with Lucy at the Blacksquare apartments, I mentioned that we had a lovely girly night in, so our photos were of the apartment, and our feast only, because we wanted to have a chilled and relaxed night so that is ok too.

 

4. If You’re Feeling Burnt Out Take A Social Break

I have always been open about the fact that I do struggle with mental health, and while I love what I do, it also contributes to my mental health issues, causing me to burn out or break down more times than I would like to admit. Which is why it is always ok to take a social media/blogging/work break for the benefit of your emotional health because at the end of the day, your true readers and followers will understand and will in fact encourage you to take that time out to focus on yourself and be the best version of you that you can possibly be. So if you are feeling burnt out, never hesitate to take a break, whether that be for a day or a few months do what makes you happy and never look back. I have placed more importance on my mental health in recent years because I know how much it affects me and am learning to say no to the things that don’t benefit me, which is still a work in progress. So when I go on a staycation or a vacation, or even now in everyday life, I am focusing on my own happiness which does not always include what I do for a living. What started out as a passion became my job, and that job though rewarding can often be the cause of that unhappiness. So with that in mind, if work whether that be remotely or in an office is contributing to your burn out then please take that time out to be at peace with yourself. You might decide to take a staycation in a remote island where there is no signal, isolated from people and is generally tranquil to take that time away from social media or even a more action packed staycation does not mean that you are still having to be present in remote work.

Whatever you choose to do, always put yourself first.

5. Plan Your Staycation In Advance To Make It Stress Free

While a staycation should always have an element of spontaneity, at the same time you also need routine and structure because if you are anything like me, you need to know what you are doing to stop the anxiety kicking in. From planning your accommodation to putting money aside to fund your travels, it might seem obvious to say that like a regular vacation you need to allocate a budget, but holidays that are closer to home are often the holidays that we forget to fund. I have lost count of the amount of holidays I have been on where I haven’t been organized with my ‘savings’ or allocation of budget which means that most of the time I am feeling stressed on my vacation and staycation, which is never a good feeling. A holiday, regardless of whether it is abroad or closer to home should be joyful, mesmerizing, good for the mind and soul and above all a break where you can escape from the real world into a dimension that is far removed from your reality. So instead of worrying that you haven’t brought enough money with you, create a budget and a semi-structural itinerary that can enable you to plan your holiday with ease, giving you the best vacation that you so deserve. From creating a daily or weekly budget that will help you plan your food and drink, accommodation, expenses and travel , to highlighting places of interest that you want to visit, read on below for tips on planning a stress free staycation that will be your best vacation yet.

Fund Your Travels In Advance

– While a staycation is likely to be less expensive than a holiday abroad a staycation can still have hidden costs. Whether you decide to travel luxury or budget you need to ensure that you are financially prepared. There are many ways that you can fund your travels including through advertorials on your blog, passive income earners like Mediavine, getting a part time job, picking up freelancing gigs and so much more. But as much as I love blogging, I know that for me personally that I don’t earn enough to fund the cost of living in London, meaning that I often have to sacrifice what others might take for granted. I am hoping that might change soon but in my current situation going on a staycation would be lovely, if only with the help of reputed short term cash loan lender Cash Lady, who offer quick loans without breathing fire down your neck. These lovelies can help you fund your dream staycation without you needing to have a panic attack.

– Don’t put your eggs all in one basket and diversify your income.As I mentioned earlier blogging can be hit and miss with lucrativeness so not only am I now seeking a new full time job but in the meantime I am picking up freelancing gigs, promotional work/temp work alongside my blogging, and it can be the same for you.

– Prioritize what you spend money on. While it is true I am not able to save much in my current situation, what I do save is spent on funding travels, food and drink and accommodation, and it’s important that you learn to prioritize your spending too.

Plan a Daily Or Weekly Budget

A Budget or a list, whichever you would prefer is a great way to document what you need and want to spend money on, whether that be food and drink or days out, and really take the stress out of your staycation. For example if you are staying in self-catered accommodation, you might work out a budget for a weekly shop, where you can cook fresh and delicious meals, with one of the days eating out at a restaurant, with a special budget allocated for this. Or if you are in catered accommodation, you might choose to allocate more money to tourist attractions i.e the London Eye if you are staying in London.

 

What Are Your Tips For Making Your Staycation Your Best Vacation Yet?

*Disclaimer

Please note this is a collaborative post but all thoughts are my own and are not affected by monetary compensation