The COVID-19 pandemic has forced nearly the entire global population to stay at home. Several travel plans were postponed or even canceled altogether due to movement restrictions and social distancing measures. While most countries are coming out of lockdowns, many individuals are still hesitant to go out amid infection fears.
Fortunately, you don’t need to travel to experience the same benefits you get from vacationing outdoors. You can still have your quick (and safer) getaway right in the comfort of your home. Here are some ways you can maximize your staycation experience without having to leave your humble abode:
Take some time off work.
While the virus continues to spread rapidly across the globe, the current outbreak has triggered the biggest work-from-home experiment in history, forcing employers to implement remote working. While this may sound like a more practical solution, especially for working parents, a few studies showed that some employees feel more stressed with working remotely in the midst of a pandemic. In fact, nearly seven in ten employees globally cited the pandemic as the most stressful time in their entire career, while 88% of them have been experiencing moderate to extreme stress over the past months.
This led to the spike of mental illnesses, particularly in the US, which is the current epicenter of the pandemic. Mental Health America recorded a 70% rise in anxiety screenings from January to April 2020 alone, while a 64% increase was noted for depression screenings. An increase in antidepressant intake and a higher demand for anxiety and insomnia medications were also observed.
Besides your usual weekend breaks, taking some extra time off work can help ease your anxiety and boost your productivity for the rest of the working week. Set at least a day or two to disconnect and disengage from work and focus on relaxing at home. Let go of your usual work-day routine and, instead, curl up with a good book or finish that TV series you have been pausing for a while.
Schedule some entertaining weekend activities with your family.
A recent study showed that more Americans are moving less and eating more during the quarantine. However, you really don’t need to be outdoors to have fun and to stay physically active.
Instead of being a couch potato, gather everyone in your household, do an indoor family tournament, or have your kids play in the pool. Recreate your usual weekend getaway by camping out in the backyard or hosting your own picnic at home.
Movie-night Fridays are also a classic, so gather everyone in the living room and host your very own viewing party indoors.
Recreate your travel destinations at home.
Canceled vacation plans can be quite a bummer. However, you can bring your summer destinations right in the comfort of your home. If your beach plans have been canceled, try recreating your favorite vacation spot by putting up plants and setting up your pool area with picnic tables, beach umbrellas, or whatever suitable materials you have on hand.
Not only did you bring your canceled plans back to life, but you also low-key upgraded your backyard. You can highly benefit from this even after the pandemic subsides. Just make sure to invest in the proper tools like pH pool control systems, cleaning agents, and storage units to protect and maintain your new patio setup.
Catch up on postponed indoor hobbies.
If you’ve wanted to learn a new skill like cooking and urban gardening but couldn’t seem to squeeze them into your normal schedule, now is the perfect time to do them. In fact, digital content creators have seen a growing audience and traffic for their live cooking sessions and recipe videos since the pandemic started. Similarly, urban gardening became more common among individuals during quarantine, with seed suppliers seeing an increase in orders of up to 300%.
While these activities can keep you entertained during your days off at home, experts argue that such hobbies are proven to be effective stress relievers. They help you declutter your mind and ease your anxiety, keeping your mental health in check, especially during these trying times.
The current health crisis has brought tremendous amounts of stress in our daily lives. While the future of traveling remains bleak until next year, planning your own staycation at home is by far the best alternative until the situation normalizes. It can range from something simple, like a movie night, to something elaborate, like a pool party. Making the most out of it can give you that needed mental, emotional, and physical break from your usual daily grind.